Coffee In The Shape of Your Heart
by Kenneth Black
Summary: Ami Mizuno doesn't want to inherit the stress-inducing future of dealing with some illegal business, so she hires Makoto Kino to be her 'girlfriend' to ward off her menacing aunt. Sounds familiar? Cross-over 'Coffee Prince'.
1. Coffee Prince's Desired Sweetener

A/N: ^^ A-a-and, let's see if I can make something of 'Coffee Prince' and Sailor Moon characters. This'll be something of a meshing of plots and my own ideas O.o so you know how that will go. ^^

DISCLAIMER: Coffee Prince is a Korean (? Yeah, I think so ^^) teleserye I watched on a CD in the Philippines, and it only covered episodes 1-13, so all the plot I'm doing is coming from there. ^^ Sailor Moon, as you all know, belongs to awesome Naoko Takeuchi! .

**Coffee Prince's Desired Sweetener**

"Reward for the idiot who saved a not-very-convincing purse-snatcher, reward!"

A whistle cut through the jaunty bustle of Fujimura High, and many heads turned to look at the grinning face of Makoto Kino.

Tall and dark, the upperclassman was an odd character, a girl who got herself in fights for no tell-tale reason observed by the outside onlookers, but could cook like she was the skillet herself.

For that she had a certain group of friends, and most of them were oddballs themselves.

What caught Fujimura students' eyes, though, was the rogue grin the tall girl wore.

Dressed in a scruffy black leather jacket and jeans that waved off the obvious school-code, Makoto Kino hardly ever sported a grin, nor the trademark ponytail she'd chopped off start freshman year.

That grin was something to be wary of on this brilliant spring morning, and Fujimura students scrambled to get out of the unconcerned girl's way.

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"Mako-chan! Over here, did you bake any more cookies last night?"

Hearing the bright chirp of a voice just as a cherry blossom hit the tip of her nose, Makoto smiled. Trust her Princess to ask of her cooking since last night.

Well, a lot could happen in the span of eight hours, she mused, ending from a ten-o'clock late study hall session to morning class.

Like nabbing a reward for catching a purse-snatcher who was her sister's idiot boyfriend, to the shocking proposition of becoming a 'male-who's-SUPPOSED-to-be-female-but-IS-female' stand-in 'girlfriend.'

She was so confused.

*sigh*

No need to confuse her twinkle-eyes princess, either.

Grabbing the blonde's cheek in a playful tug, Makoto lugged the drooling Usagi Tsukino to homeroom.

There was a certain priestess she'd needed to talk to there, and judging by Usagi's perfect on-time score since the raven-haired girl's transfer, she'd want to talk to her, too.

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"Honestly, Thunder, can't we leave you alone for eight hours without you getting into any. . . mischief?"

Homeroom bell rung, hardly silencing the rowdy class, and Makoto grinned even wider as she hip-checked Usagi nearer to the miko.

"Waaah, Rei-chan, Mako-chan pushed me!"

"Deal with it, meatball-head."

The curt reply of an in-love miko and blushing princess.

Oh, how cheekily cute.

Nodding over to Minako Aino, girl-pop star and blondie-cute, Makoto slumped in her chair and neatly scribbled out a note, crumpling it up around a safety pin she always kept tucked in her sleeve and tossing it casually to Rei.

No need for the nosy homeroom teacher to intercept a light crumb flying on the winds due to insubstantial weight.

_*Well, should I take the job? I DO need the money, and with Miki getting into 'hormonal-craze' age, it'd be good. So?*_

Peering out of the corner of her eyes as the eye-rolling girl read it, Makoto groaned and resisted the urge to plop her head down. Even if she'd went and made new best friends with Rei, hitting it off instantly due to the love of meditation and training, didn't mean she wouldn't spill it to Minako and Usagi.

Being her friends ever since she'd transfered to Fujimura High herself, Usagi and Minako were the most supportive people she knew. It didn't matter that she was the Senshi of Jupiter and Lightning herself, the god who wielded Thunder's roar like a lion would.

They treated her like a sister, and she would do anything to prevent seeing them cry or ever be hurt. Back in her old schools, she'd gotten into fights to defend herself from idiot bullies, and had the rage of multiple put-downs from lunk-head boyfriends to support her.

Well, here she'd get into fights to protect her friends, and she'd be hung if she ever let any youma hurt her friends. Ever since becoming the Senshi of Thunder and Lightning, Makoto Kino had sported the best high she'd ever been on since sky-diving that one time with her parents.

Ever since she'd been little, she knew something inside her was destined to be a fighter, and her parents had supported her in all ways they could without breaking her love and spirit of fighting. Now, as a senshi, she was suited to the task.

Yet something inside her had recently shifted, and instinct told her a new form was about to come into her life, and someone strong, someone she could depend on when she was down- and Rei Hino came.

Raised to be independent, Rei had somehow understood Makoto, and they'd become the best at having each other's backs during battle, and someone they could talk to when times came down rough and Minako and Usagi weren't suited to the experience.

She knew now that Rei already knew what she was talking about, she was psychic, but- and then she saw the corner of the miko's lips twitch.

Oh, no.

Even though Rei was the perfect person to talk to and let out all frustrations when things were going rough, she was also the most annoying person when she caught onto something she could tease the taller brunette with.

That twitch was the tell-tale sign she was going to pick on her, oh no, she knew there was a chance Rei would tease her-

AACK!

And then Usagi was reaching around, grabbing the note and then slipping it to Minako, who calmly read it with an interested grin on her lips.

She shouldn't be worried, since Minako was a pretty responsible person when serious things came up, but she knew the Senshi of Love was another version of almost-as-wild Usagi, and she wouldn't let a good piece of juicy news slip from her grasp.

Makoto gaped when Minako's usually-smiling face flushed red and the tips of her ears tinged with the brightest of red. MINAKO was fazed by what was written on there? What the heck?

Something had to be suggestive on there, WHAT did Rei write?

Glancing over at the girl in question, Makoto groaned when she saw the twinkly-squint 'oops' on her face. Ami quickly slipped the note back to Makoto over her shoulder, and her own face heated when she read the response.

_*Well, Thunder, nights are longer when we're lonely, and the money wouldn't hurt.*_

Makoto about screamed when she glared over at the grinning miko. She'd obviously known Usagi was going to pick off the note and had written something spicy for the blonde to hear. Sighing heavily, she slumped back in her chair and stuck out her tongue at her friends.

The way they were staring at her, all levels of curious and knowing expressions on their faces, Makoto knew she was going to be pounced on at lunch.

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"Okay, Mako-chan, SPILL! Minako-chan told me what you've been doing, and-"

"Whoa, Usagi-chan, what? Did I miss something on the note?"

Makoto was right: she was grabbed and lugged to the school roof when the clock's hands ticked lunch, and now she sat like a lectured kid in the middle of her friends.

She instinctively reached for the back of her head where her ponytail was, then remembered she'd cut it off a couple of years ago due to the dying of her hair and the inconsistency which she thought it would make, not to mention the hassle.

Boy, she missed it now.

"Well, um, y'see..."

"*sigh* Thunder here found a job. Now she wants to know if she should take it or leave it. I was just teasing her about her employer, if she took it and such."

Makoto grinned nervously at the two scrutinizing pairs of eyes.

Usagi was naturally curious, but MInako-chan was like her kid sister. A bit nosy and annoying, teasing her to no end, but she made sure Makoto wasn't ever in trouble or need.

"Is that right, Makoto?"

She winced, hastily taking out her bento and baiting Usagi away with it.

Now only Minako to handle.

A very _worried-looking_ Minako, and that was bad.

She had the same look her mom used to have whenever Makoto had done something bad and she was about to be questioned about it.

Thoroughly.

Steeling herself, she nodded.

It was about time she told what was up with her life. . .

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A/N: Tan-tan-ta-taaaan! ^^ ((PS: I then started thinking, Ami - as Minako here- was someone who I wanted Makoto to be paired with. I originally had Minako as Ami, and if you can tell Minako is acting like Ami, then kudos for you. I just thought the pairing would work better, and I DO want to explore the dominating side of Ami later. ^^))


	2. Here's The Creamer To My Life

A/N: . I think this'll show how self-conscious and explanatory Makoto wants herself to be right now so all her friends will know she can handle herself. ^^

DISCLAIMER: Coffee Prince and Naoko Takeuchi are both great creations made by mother nature, somehow or other. :p

**Here's The Creamer To My Life. . .**

_*I'd just come from my karate lessons for the kids. Y'know, downtown, in that small complex building?_

_Anyway, I went to meet my sister, Miki, over at Andrew's._

_He won't make it in the restaurant business, I swear, he keeps giving us freebies, but since he promises he'll take me on when I graduate for top cook and partner, then- okay, okay. _

_Anyway, Miki was there, you know, all tan and blonde, and- *sigh*she was there with a guy three years older, with no job, who looked like a common street punk, and he THOUGHT I was a GUY! WHY does everyone THINK I am a GUY?_

_Okay, yes, yes, Minako-chan, I'm SO calm right now- AARGH!-*_

_*Thunder, I'LL tell the story. Sheesh, can't you do stories in third person concerning yourself? Okay, here guys, is how it goes in the life of Makoto Kino, warrior-sexy babe thunder girl. . .*_

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Makoto stepped into the brightly-lit cafe and restaurant, signaling a tired hand to her future partner-in-business-after-graduation to whip up her usual.

It had been another hectic day tutoring her adorable karate monster kids, and she was beat.

Trudging over to the booth where her sister usually sat waiting after news, Makoto yawned and scratched at her dark black locks. She noted a new guy sitting at her across the table, ugly as idiot, sporting a black tank top and crew cut, and she slumped in her chair.

Couldn't the tan blonde get anyone who looked her range in respectable?

"-Oi! Hey, you, yeah! Watcha doin' here at my girl's table, eh?"

She paid him no mind, instead shooting a grateful look at Andrew before leaning down and inhaling in deeply the elegant aroma of coffee.

Mmm...

"-Hey! Oi, Mi-chan, does this scrawny guy date you or something? Speaking of which, date ME, Mi-chan! C'mon, I been makin' money this month, for real!"

Makoto sighed in bliss when the hot beverage melted her tongue, soothing the heat and pooling deliciously in her stomach. Ah, the world was at peace, everything was good. . . Nothing could make her more relaxed, nothing. . .

Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her wrist. The sudden jerk almost made her dump the sacred beverage, and Makoto growled in relief when she balanced the delicate white cup with a flick of her wrist.

If it had been Miki, she would have shrugged it off.

It was not Miki.

"Back off, pup-boy."

She kept her voice calm, sipping her coffee again as she glanced over at her sister. They younger girl smiled and shook her head.

*sigh*

No broken bones, then.

"-What are you to her, huh, punk?"

Makoto sighed.

Well, she'd given her warning.

Without breaking her gaze to Miki, Makoto gripped the hand that held her, flipping her wrist to slam his forearm into the table, and calmly stepped on his bended foot, then side-stepping into the back of his kneecap to bring him down.

As he fell past her, Makoto gently set down her coffee cup and used her free hand to push him further back so he doubled into himself.

She knew it hurt.

Heck, Haruka Teno'h, her karate and meditation teacher before she'd become one herself, had about dislocated her shoulder and leg before she was satisfied she'd taught it correctly. It hadn't helped that Makoto had egged her blond teacher on by teasing her about being so lovey-dovey with Michiru.

It had all been in good humor, though.

Not letting up on her hold, Makoto grinned over at Miki and growled down at the whimpering male, smirking slightly when he started to tense his muscles in an attempt to break free. Like he could. If this puny mortal could beat Makoto Kino, she was giving in her black belt.

"She's the one who keeps me in line. Don't mess with her. She shares my name."

The whimpered grunts became a disbelieving roar, and Makoto only grinned harder when the idiot male's struggles only got more desperate. She just gave a sharp tug and he quieted down again.

Slightly.

"MI-CHAN? YOU'RE ENGAGED TO THIS GUY?"

Oi, what an idiot.

Before she could correct him, though, the food came, and Makoto gave a heaving push and laid the idiot on his nose. She didn't have the time for this and was hungry as heck.

Time to EAT.

"Hair off of the underside of a pig JUST before it's balls was whacked off with a RE-E-EALLY rusty, dull butcher knife, and the green innards all floating wierd in its own pool of blood. . ."

Makoto rolled her eyes.

Trust the little brat to use her big sis as a barrier to any questing lunkheads in romance.

'If you beat Makoto in eating twenty plates apiece of Andrew-kun's cooking, then, YES, Boja, I will date you.'

And then Andrew had to butt in, saying the loser had to pick up the tab.

Well, it worked for her. Besides, this 'Boja' looked like a lightweight. She was STARVING, and no one but Usagi seemed to be able to out-eat her.

Makoto was right.

The guy just rammed his face full of food, making animalistic grunting noises while she deliberately mixed, rolled, and prepared hers in for inhaling. Ah, yes, THAT hit the spot. Boja had hit nine plates and she was still going strong on her sixteenth.

It also didn't help for HIM that Miki was going on and on about nasty pig gutting , but since she lived with the brat, it was old.

No problem.

Sighing majestically as she ate the last bite of sweet-and-sour pork mixed with a rolled-up burrito bun with bean sprouts mixed in, Makoto grinned. She got rid of the murderous look from Boja by tapping lightly on his stomach with her foot.

Rising, she offered Miki her hand and walked out, calling over to Andrew her new rival would be getting the tab.

So far, her day was pretty uneventful.

"Eeek! Help, wallet-snatcher!"

Makoto stopped dead in her tracks under the street's lamp lights. It was about one in the morning, but good old Tokyo was still going strong. Taking walks wasn't new to her, and she took them at whatever times she could.

Now riding around on her scooter delivering Andrew's orders of takeout for her other part-time job was another matter, though. It called for quick service and specific driving. Work and call-ins were going a bit slow, though, so Andrew had Makoto driving around and pasting posters of the cafe around the city.

Hearing the high screech of 'wallet-snatcher', though, had Makoto stopping.

She'd heard 'purse-snatcher' before, and plenty of 'pick-pockets', but 'wallet-snatcher' was new. She barely had time to ponder this before something akin to a rock barrelled into her, and she fell off her bike underneath the scrabbling mass of sweating human-

"YOU!"

"Me? What do you mean, pup, you couldn't pay the bill so you went off stealing wallets? Geez, get a job already! Miki will never date you-!"

Makoto stared down into horrified blue eyes, the occassional pimple on the high forehead standing out red against the pale skin. Sighing, she pushed him off.

Really.

He wasn't much of a guy, but Miki would probably have him tagging around for a couple more months. No need to be hostile when she'd have to protect her sister from another break-up in the future and pick this guy off the pavement.

"Here. Give me the wallet and I'll tell them you got away."

She almost kicked his butt when he scrambled away. He'd held on tight to that broken-in piece of leather, but beat it when she glared at him. Turning, she saw stars when a flash of white, then something hit her in the face.

"Whoa! Whoa, back off, the wallet's safe here-!"

"Ami-chan, over here, I think we hit jackpot!"

"JEEZ, Artemis, wouldn't-cha tell me BEFORE we run all over the place for a dumb wallet? We're not Superman, we're- oh, hey there!"

Makoto blinked.

Before her stood a panting girl. She sported the short hair of someone who was conservative in looking all around her, and surprisingly, she had on the uniform of a senshi. Wierd. Makoto instantly forgot whatever she was thinking when the girl winked and grinned, shaking her hair out and sending the delicate smell of something sweet in the air.

Makoto stood gaping for a moment, then handed over the wallet.

Shorter than her, the blue-eyed. . . fighter was leaning down and scratching a white fluffball of a cat. Something made her eyes narrow as she got a better look. Those smirking whiskers reminded her very much of Luna, Usagi's talking moon-cat who'd brought them their own mission: protecting the earth from Queen Beryl and youma.

This was getting wierd. The last time she'd seen anything like this was when she'd first met Minako, and the girl had showed her a picture of another white fluffball that looked exactly like the one she was now staring at.

"Hey, thanks for catching up with the wallet. I'll. . . um, see you later."

Makoto could only nod dumbly as the blue-haired wonder flashed her a small grin and soared off, hopping onto one of the buildings and flashing her a wave.

This was beginning to turn into something of a weird night. . .

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"Hey, sorry, can I sit here? All the other tables are full, and I really can't bug Andrew right now."

She was back again at the coffee and restaurant cafe, and at three in the morning, she was surprised to find the pub full of laughter spilling out into the streets.

Wow, those posters must have worked.

Turning her attention back to the person she was talking to, Makoto smiled. Blue eyes twinkled merrily, and they nodded, gesturing to a nearby chair.

"Sure. Rough night?"

Makoto started.

Sitting in front of her was that same girl who she'd run into just a mere hour ago in the streets of Tokyo. What was happening here? And why was all these people flashing their bright cameras and cell phones around them?

"Ms. Mizuno, is this punk trying to beg off some money here? If so, I can throw him out just as fast as you want me to-"

"Artemis, enough. No, this nice person just wanted to find a seat somewhere, since it's a full house. Don't you think we owe him that much, since we ARE the ones who, technically, brought all these people here?"

Makoto stared over into knowing blue eyes, the kind that make sure you know they know who the heck you are when you're trying to hide your presence. She was not going to be intimidated by this silver-haired man, not one who had a half-crescent moon on his forehead.

She racked her brain, trying to think.

Somehow, this sudden appearance of a renowed millionaire girl hadn't fazed her, and it explained the full house, but why. .?

And then it hit her.

Sailor Scout.

She looked EXACTLY like a Sailor Scout when she'd been in that uniform from last time!

And that 'silver-haired man' was that cat, Artemis!

A/N: ^^ Let's have Makoto ((by Rei's 3rd-person story-telling)) explore what's happening here, eh? I know it's WAY off of the real 'Coffee Prince', but hey, better to do it this way, huh? .


	3. Consider That I Said Yes

A/N: Oho! Welcome, and hope you enjoy the next installment here! ^^

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, please don't get out your thermos pots and scald me with all the boiling water you've got in there, eh? ^^ Only the idea of insane plot are mine ((putting together Sailor Moon and Coffee Prince ^^))!

**Consider That I Said Yes**

Makoto knew from experience that wearing a senshi uniform was not unlike just putting on a skirt and donning a pair of lethal-stabbing high heels, accessorized with a sparkling tiara and sweetly good powers.

It was a wonder no youma or common person had recognized them for what they were, and all of them had thanked Kami more than once when the Tokyo police were brought into play and no one could pin their identities.

Being a civilian, though, Sailor Scouts were pretty easy to spot.

Makoto smiled nervously and nodded, then slapped herself on the forehead mentally. No use being so paranoid and nervous, here.

This girl was no different than talking to another person, she wouldn't let it faze her!

She tried to remember just what the heck she was doing here, then about smiled maniacly. She was a part-time worker, earning her future status as Andrew's partner. Makoto Kino, senshi under her Princess, and she'd better remember it.

Why would this girl faze her when she'd beaten up bullies three times her size before? Maybe it was because of those piercing blue eyes, the knowing grin underneath that cute pert nose. Wow, she didn't know eyes could strip her bare like that. .

"So! Why are you, um, no offense, here? I'm a part of the cafe and restaurant, so I might as well give you some kind of tour, if you'd like."

Makoto about slapped herself across the face. She was acting like some nervous junior higher who had never spoke to another of the alien sex, or something like that. She'd blame it on the heat that was circulating throughout the place.

She was only glad when the other girl stood and took her up on the offer.

"Oh, I'm here, looking for a certain person who could pass themself of as. . . As a matter of fact, hmm. . . Where's your bathroom?"

Makoto frowned in puzzlement and pointed over to the far corner near the back of the inn and wondered why the heck the other girl seemed so dominating right now. She couldn't really blame the smaller female, everyone had their greedy eyes on her- or, more correctly, her status as moneybags.

"Would you mind coming in here?"

Shaking her head in wonder, Makoto followed the grinning blue eyes into the clean bathroom. She was of no stranger to public bathrooms, and every bathroom she went into was the same as any other.

Well, if this was a first for going into a public restroom for the renowed millionaire, who was she to judge? Pointing out the obvious toiletries and such, Makoto jumped a bit when a hand brushed over the back of her shoulderblade, then edged down, towards her lower spine.

"I-I believe the thing you're looking for is over there. You don't need a key to open it, you know?"

"Oh, she's not looking for a key, Lightning."

"! Hey, Artemis or whatnot, I don't care if you change into a cat or mouse, this is a WOMEN'S bathroom, and last time I checked you're not-!"

"What are you talking about, Lightning? You're not necessarily one, either. LAST time I checked."

Makoto bristled.

That lazy gaze of smirking blue was driving her crazy. Her mouth opened to retort a sharp whiplash of correction, but it soon turned into a surprised gasp when hands encircled her neck to lower her head.

"Hmm. . . Artemis, will he do? I mean, I've got to find a man that looks like a girl so they think I'm- well, not necessarily 'gay', but. . I guess it doesn't HAVE to be a guy, but I'd rather recruite a guy than an actual girl, you know? It'll be. . slightly awkward, but. ."

Makoto jerked away, staring into dark blue eyes and she had the insane urge to tilt that curved chin and brush away that inner confusion and hurt from those swirling depths.

"What makes you think I'll even take the obvious request?"

She could feel the arms withdraw from her neck, feel the rigid stiffening of hurt control come back into place as the other girl snapped her defenses up about her. Makoto hadn't even known they had been down until she'd felt the change.

"Money. Rather, a certain amount will douse any kind of desire for it you want. I've already had my fill of it. I can guarantee you will, too."

Artemis was moving behind her, ready to pounce on her refusal and throw it back in her face, but Makoto steeled her muscles and felt the obvious surprise in the air when the man stepped back, giving her grudging space.

"You will not humiliate her, Lightning."

"You're a funny one, Artemis. Someone else calls me Thunder. Why do you choose the other counterpart?"

"You crackle with energy. Now, Ami here just glides with the element of water, now, doesn't she? So, Lightning, will you let her conduct you?"

And before Makoto knew it, the girl in front of her had snapped a sharp, "Artemis! Stop it! Money can't always buy what it wants, and you of all people should know that! He will only be submissive to a certain point. Now, stop taunting him."

The walls seemed to drip with the heated steam of water droplets, and Makoto could feel herself charge with the energy of a thousand lightning bolts. She knew, instinctively, she could hurt the smaller girl with but a single word.

She would not.

Being nice to people was in her blood. Expecially strays.

"I'll think about taking the job. But mind you, I am not some submissive human who will just bow down with the simple touch of money. If you want space and personal commitment from me, well, you'll have it. To a point. I want some answers, along the way."

The man behind her snorted, but she could detect the awed respect from his flickering aura. It was strong, but amidst it, she could feel something that resembled broken love not accepted or not noticed from someone he truly wanted to be there, always, for.

"Okay, starting- What's my employee's name? Oh, and my job, if you can clarify that."

Makoto stared at herself in the mirror out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't used this many a big word since she'd been born. Where was all this coming from? Just to impress the smaller girl before her, get a decent handhold on the job she was about to be drawn into?

"Oh, sorry. I'm Ami Mizuno. Due to circumstances that I don't want the humongo jackpot given to me, in return for managing this really dirty-deeded workshop that's going to be passed down to me from my aunt, well, I'm going to hit her with the thing she hates most- homosexuality."

Makoto visibly jumped, and she was mildly surprised when a warm hand tapped her in the side, earning a slight squeak and bashful grin.

"Go on? Oh, I'm Makoto Kino, by the way. My personal finances are stable, but a few jingles in my pocket are welcome."

Ami nodded, and Makoto swore she could detect a pained expression on that face underneath the glasses. She really was cute, Makoto realized. Then she realized something else.

Ami and Artemis had mistaken her for a guy.

Again.

Well, she would listen to the other requirements, and if she felt she could do it under the pretense of a guy and not be revealed as a girl, she'd go for it. Nodding to the door leading to the outside, Makoto led Ami and Artemis out and sat them down on the counter, giving Andrew a grin and thumbs-up.

"Okay. So, other requirements here?"

"Oh, yes. We'll go around in public, high-class eating spots, restaurants like these- this is a really nice, comfy one, by the way- flaunt around in front of my aunt at the right times, such as big social events-"

"Whoa, hold it. What about your, um, reputation? You already established you're not. . like that, so you'd REALLY go through all this just for a shot at freedom against your aunt? And why can't you just wait until you're legally 'of age' or all that gunk?"

"*sigh* Lightning, you might not get this, but Ami-chan would have to chop off her hand before her aunt would let her wait another year without her having to sign anything. And with swimming and her dream of doctor, she NEEDS that hand. THAT'S her reason for-"

"ARTEMIS! I was GETTING to that! Geez, no spilling info when info is my guts here!"

Makoto grinned.

These two must have had a heck of a time meeting up. Speaking of which. .

"Hey, if I do take this job, do you mind meeting with some of my friends? They have a cat just like you, I mean, just like Artemis, y'know, with the crescent on top of her forehead, so. ."

"Oh, sure. Of course. Besides, I've given you the benefit of the doubt, not doing a background check on you, so I'll just do it by hand."

Makoto smiled nervously.

If they got ahold of her being Sailor Jupiter and the others, well, she'd be in deep doo-doo. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling she had to hide what she knew. Ami already viewed her as typical human, which is probably why she chose her, even as she towered like the Hulk over her: Ami could take her down with one snap of her wrist.

IF she was a Sailor Scout.

Well, tomorrow, she'd gather everyone and they could go check it out.

"Well, great. I'll see you guys soon, then?"

"Definitely. Here's my number. Password will be something you've got to say when I pick up, so I can transfer you over to my private line, make the phone call something more private. So, I'll be calling you Mako-kun, okay? You can all me anything you want."

Before Makoto could stop herself, she whispered in an embarrasingly husky voice, something that would win even the most ugliest turtle out there that was Ami's aunt.

"Blue. I'll. . call you Blue."

She heard Artemis snort, and she shot him a crazy grin, to which he whimpered slightly and backed down, grinning himself to ease the tension.

"Okay. Well, I'll contact you soon. We can discuss money then."

"Right. Well, bye, Blue. My schedule is pretty open, and I can tell you busy days for me, so just call whenever you can. I've given my number to Artemis. It's on his paw. I'm curious to see if he'll sweat it off. I've heard they can only sweat it out there."

Makoto turned and grinned at the pair and ran out into the night before Artemis could jump on her and shred her to pieces. She could hear Ami wrestling her ever-so-faithful kitty down and slip him a bit of catnip when he calmed down.

She was looking forwards to this.

_"*GASP!* Thunder, SHAME on you! What if she changed her mind and won't contact you, eh? You let this slip by?"_

_"*grunt* Rei-chan, Rei-chan, c'mon, you think I'm that dumb? I looked her up, and her address is all right there. Don't worry, it won't be breaking and entering. I've made friends enough for a quick drop-in visit if she don't want to hire me."_

_"Mako-cha-a-an! Even I know that's breaking and entering! And we'd. . well, we'd help you any way we can."_

_"Thanks, Usagi-chan. Minako-chan, are you with us?"_

_"Hmmm. . . You like this girl, don't you, Makoto-chan?"_

_"I-I. .! No! I just think her predicament is interesting, is all! Wh-Who wants some free coffee and snacks over at Andrew's? W-We can hit some off of him, and maybe find some really cute guys!"_

_Everyone turns to each other and watches as Makoto vaults over the three-story railing of the school. Smirking at each other, they link arms and rush the fence as well. A minute later a rather hurt howl is heard. _

_"Oooooowww! Why'd you guys come this way?"_

_"Same reason you did!"_

_That night, they planned to make some ruckus and see if they could stir up the whereabouts of a fellow senshi. It shouldn't have been too hard, if not for the moving of two feline puffballs. . . _

A/N: . This is OBVIOUSLY not how the actual characters from Coffee Prince met, so you can't say this is a spoiler! Muahahahaa! Anyway, let's just say Artemis went to Ami and is now hers like Minako was. ^^ Hope you're liking this flashback.


	4. Contemplation

A/N: Let's switch to Ami's POV here for a sec, okay? ^^

DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, but I like to fool around with ideas! .

**Contemplation**

_Ugh. Why did I even go out to that pub last night? Well, except for the obvious reasons to get away from my responsibilities and my aunt, of course. Was it that I knew she'd be there? Why is this happening to me, that fast pitter-patter I feel, right near my chest. _

_This is insane. _

_What an insane idea, hiring some off-of-the-street woman who I barely know, only that she's a woman who I made think I thought she was male? Wow, good going, Ami Mizuno. The first out-of-this-world crush, and I'm making it into some kind of big adventure. _

_Well, at least the part of me wanting to get away from money is true. _

_I haven't lied. At least, not really. _

Ami Mizuno stood at her window, looking out into the bustling streets of Tokyo in broad daylight. She had been under 'restriction' from her aunt, and with her mother working as much-needed doctor in Germany, well, Ami had coped as well as a seventeen-year-old could possibly cope.

She rebelled.

Ever since she'd found that magic henshin three years ago, Ami had done everything she could to get out of the big mansion she was supposed to call 'home'. Maybe because she felt guilty disobeying her mother's last orders before she'd went, to stay home, that she transformed just to help people in need.

People who had demons in every shape and form coming after them.

So Ami helped, found out that she did have something going for her other than her genius brains and over-the-top swimming skills, and made something of herself. Something she was proud of, something that built her inner strength, something that made her aunt question her like crazy if she had a boyfriend or something of the like.

To her surprise, she'd retorted an offhand 'yes'.

To her horror, her aunt wanted to meet him.

And, true to her genius mind, being cooped up since her mom had left for Germany, her brain cells went crazy and she came up with the crazy plan to find an actual guy and act out her aunt's biggest fears- being in a same-sex relationship with someone.

Ami could have sworn her old self would have fainted dead away at this wierd plan, but her current self had just smugly grinned and allowed her features to curl into something resembling 'love-the-person-I'm-with'.

Blergh.

And so, for the past few months she'd kept an eye out for anyone who could pass her careful eye. Someone who actually looked like a girl but still had the attributes of a powerful man. Ami wasn't very knowing at picking out some random guy off the street, but over those three years she'd developed almost a second sense for people's personal quirks.

With the added help of her Mercury Bubble Blast taken down about five-hundred eighty-six notches.

The attack wouldn't hurt the humans she'd set out her bubbles to spy, and she could manage to look for people who she found capable of handling her requirements but not be animalistic and pig-headed about it.

She needed to be in control when she presented her grand plan to everyone, and she needed someone who had enough self-control to not blackmail her when it was over.

Ami had about given up hope when one day, she'd practically fallen off the building she was on when she spotted the perfect candidate.

Tall.

Muscularly slim.

Dark.

And artistically enhanced in cooking.

So she was hungry when she'd spotted the tall, muscularly slim, dark, artistically enhanced in cooking mortal when she chose her pick. It had to be them. They had to be her partner.

The human was wearing a tight black belt around the curve of their waist, and their gi flowed loosely about them. Short-cut hair flowed like static but ran like a river down the sensuous curve of neck, and Ami about lost it when the scent of cookies and home-made bento flew into the bubble she had let loose earlier to her nose.

Perfect.

There was one question she had in her mind, well, maybe two, and then she'd set up the meeting. Somewhere where the person was currently familiar with, somewhere they were cozy and comfortable. . .

Then she saw it.

Ami narrowed her eyes and about lost one of her arms against the ax demon that she was holding off. Sighing, she let loose a simple ice beam towards the sharp edge and then nicked the blade with her elbow.

Being sadistically self-conscious, the demon had seen its own reflection of broken 'perfection' and had run off, squealing about misfortune and useless sharpeners.

Turning her attention back to the human at hand, Ami wondered why they were running like crazy in the early laments of day before the usual hustle and bustle and grinned quietly to herself when the human produced a pair of chopsticks from her gi.

What came next made her gasp.

"Special Delivery, a pair of special chopsticks from 'Andrew and Future Makoto's' restaurant and cafe! Glad to be of service, ma'am, sir, please enjoy, and don't hesitate to call again!"

Who knew you could hire a person to run to different places in the morning, clad only in a training gi and deliver 'special' toothpicks? Wow, what had the world come to?

Ami shook her head and jumped onto the ground, a mere fifteen stories or more from her precarious perch on the rooftop.

It was time for research.

00000000000000000000000000

Ami grinned to herself as she thought back on the incident a whole five weeks ago. She'd learned, then, that Makoto was of female sex and gender, but looking back on it, she had had no idea, until that certain hotspring incident when their school had been on a field trip.

So she'd stalked the girl a bit.

Ooh, shudders.

Not.

It made the whole stalking thing easier, that she was intrigued by Makoto, the way she did things. Okay, make it more 'attracted'.

Maybe it was the fact she was a loner like her.

Maybe it was the fact that, after all the time she'd spent stalking her, Ami still didn't know what she did at night, where she went. She knew she went somewhere with her friends, and even more, to Andrew's, where she worked diligently to earn her status as future partner.

It bugged her.

Makoto seemed to sense she was there, sense someone was watching her.

Maybe it had been mere shivers on the dark-haired girl's part, but Ami swore, every time she really focused in, focused on those soft lips, those startlingly forest-green eyes that saw everything in the karate room, Makoto would inwardly shudder, flinch, then relax.

Repeatedly.

So she'd tested a bit, experimented.

Yep.

The girl did the same thing, no matter where she sent the bubble, no matter whether she was asleep or not. So Ami had decided, finally, she was going to approach her. She wasn't getting anywhere fast, and if she kept this up, her future 'girl-friend' was going to lose it.

She set up the wallet-meeting.

000000000000000000000000000

So now what do I do? Ami put her chin in her hands and sighed.

Due to her mere genius capabilities of knowing certain facts at key moments called tests and classes during school and whenever she was asked questions, Ami was expelled from school because she was, quote, unquote, 'So damn smart.'

Feh.

So it was her fault she could memorize and do things the way a professional could. Big deal. If she was given free reign to DO it, THEN maybe she would 'show an interest' and could get around to saving people on the streets when they had seizures.

Which goes back to her 'Sailor Mercury'.

She came with powers, and with powers came with responsibility. Somehow she knew there were others out there, since she WAS part of a planet, be it linked directly or not. There were eight more planets out there, and she could feel their auras growing stronger by the night.

Where did that leave her?

Ami had shed her transformation many times and had tried to track down the other six life forces moving around in the city, and sometimes out, but whenever she'd gotten near any one of them, the spirit suddenly seemed to diminish and hide.

It was damn frustrating, and she'd more than once put a crater in the ground when she used it as a punching relief.

If that was the case, if she counted those vivid colors that moved around, herself included, there were only six. Where were the other three planets?

Shrugging, Ami wearily eyed the aquarium she kept in her room, the only thing she really wanted, other than Artemis and her bed. A closet was something she wasn't investing in, since her aunt never really allowed her to wear such 'inappropriate clothing' under 'her' roof, but then, in the next few weeks, with Makoto, she'd have to.

She didn't want to show up in public looking like an adolescent school marm with oversized glasses. No, she'd get contacts, see how they fit. She knew she'd look good, since she had no use for them when she transformed, but to wear no glasses in her civilian skin.

It would be invigorating.

Watching the small school of fish, all colors of tropical nature, lazing about in the tank, floating, diving, twirling, swimming, Ami fingered the glass and then took off the top . Instantly a bomb of deep-green projectile flew out and landed, rather smugly, in the cup of water beside her bed.

"You're going to call her, Ami-chan?"

Rolling her eyes in a grin, Ami turned and put her fingers to her lips, gesturing towards the sleeping cat lying in a heap near under her bed.

"You want for Artemis to go through the trouble of eating you, then puking you back up again, like last time, Ryohizu?"

The spiky fish grinned back, tail curling about him in mock horror.

"Oh, please, Ami-chan, I couldn't BEAR the thought of that furry beast putting his tongue on me ever again!"

Ami laughed, then, a slow chortle that stirred the waters in the aquarium as she dipped her hand in, then arm, reaching for the water-proof conch phone hidden under the aquarium's sand and small rocks.

"If you're trying to make me blush, Ryohizu, it'll take a lot more than that. Besides, I KNOW Artemis, technically, DID have his tongue on you. You bad, bad boy."

The green fish did a small backflip in the cup, then sighed as it catapulted itself back into the aquarium, not a second too late before Ami closed the hatch with a soft 'thud'.

"Aww, Ami-chan, I miss the old you- where you'd be rolling around on the bed fawning over that idiot man who left-"

"Ryohizu, please don't bring it up again. I'll give you extra nibbles if you don't."

A smirk, and then, smugly, "I'm going to get fat. Every time I bring that up, you entice me with nibbles, and I get more. C'mon, he wasn't so bad. Remember, if he hadn't spilled that dumb 'chemical XXZ' or whatever into our system, then you wouldn't be able to talk to us."

Ami snorted, then tapped the small pads of the underside conch. Placing it to her ear, she reveled in the ocean's soothing whisper before closing her eyes and murmuring,

"And that's a good thing?"

Smiling at the rows of fish faces peering out at her in various shades of amusement from the tank, Ami walked over and slowly tapped a couple nibbles into the water. Laughing as they all dove to compete for the food, Ami gave them a 'thumbs-up-she's-there-but-hush' when she heard the ringtone pick up.

"Hoi, Makoto here. How may I help you, Andrew's restaurant and cafe?"

". . . Hello, Mako-kun, this is Blue here. Do you usually pick up with work on your mind?"

"! Oh, hey, Blue. I'm sorry- I usually give out my number to clients whenever they want it, which is kind of neat, since they order more. So, how have you been?"

Ami smiled over at the interested eyes and perked gills of the curious fish, and she sashayed away, twirling the small antennae on the conch as she adjusted the mere steps away from the tank.

"Oh, pretty good. If you don't mind, let's settle the conditions for the job, eh, Mako-kun?"

Ami heard the distant shuffling of clothes and knew for a fact that Makoto was changing from her gi to her street clothes or just into the apron Andrew had used for his workers showing their names. She wanted convenience when she called, so perfect time when her soon-to-be 'girlfriend' was changing and off work, right?

"Yeah, Blue, about that. I'll be right, umph! Over! Okay, open your window up, and tell Artemis not to scratch my eyes out or anything, okay?"

Blue eyes blinked in confusion when the line went a bit crinkly, and then Makoto's voice faded, only to screech back an indignified, "I don't need TWO scratchers for me, Luna, now stop it! You'll like the other guy, okay? Don't WORRY!"

Looking over to her window, Ami about dropped the conch she was holding.

Makoto had a leg slung over the high fence and railing about her two-inch 'balcony', and her short hair was an unruly mess. Sweat made her face shine, and clinging to the nape of her neck was a small child that had the dark aspects of violet eyes and a snarling pack of feral teeth.

"LET me GO, Makoto-ch- OW, what the HECK?"

"Shh, Luna-chan, if I let you go, now, won't Usagi-chan be sad that I dropped her precious li'l kitty who is supposed to be watched over by her UNCLE?"

Ami smiled slightly at the force put behind 'uncle' and decided to open the window. It had to be windy outside, and if any past experience told her, it was hard to hold onto the sill with only your fingertips and a demonishing Artemis inside, shaking his head in disapproval at midnight antics before opening the window.

She'd never tried it with a child on her back before, either.

"Well, Mako-kun, what a nice surprise. Do come in."

"Thanks, Blue. There's only so much I can take, hanging around with this She-Cat from the Moon. Blue, this is Luna. Luna-chan, Blue here is my future employer-"

"LUNA?"

"A-Artemis. .!"

"Um, Artemis, you two know each other. .?"

"LUNA, where is DIANA? Where is she?"

"A-Ah, um, Luna-chan, you MIGHT want to leave me, er, us out of this."

"Makoto-k-kun, don't worry. Artemis, let's go and leave these two for a bit, shall we? I'm sure Minako will love to hear from you."

Ami watched with confused eyes as her guardian jumped to his paws, fur bristling uncontrollably as he sprang over to Makoto and the new 'Luna'. They changed before their eyes and jumped out the window, cat tails waving erratically as they disappeared.

"W-Well. . Um, your day going good?"

She turned to smiled crookedly at Makoto. Gesturing to a nearby chair rolling around in the sparse room of light blue, Ami jumped on her bed, flipping the conch back into the aquarium where Ryohizu swam around it, placing it back carefully under the hidden niche in the sand.

"Sure. Now, let's settle the pay."

"Fine with me. Name away, Blue."

Ami smiled, then. Makoto was sitting as boyishly as she could in the chair, straddling the back, and though she was tomboyish in nature and the way she consciously spoke, Ami knew this was pushing it a bit.

The taller one would usually relax in the seat, dominating the whole space and spreading herself over it in a 'mine' posture, smiling lazily as she took in all the actions going on around her. It was mostly obvious during school hours, in her leather casings and jeans.

"Relax, Mako-kun. Because from now on, I want you to change your entire being. For a price, of course. Which is why I'm going to make it worth your while."

A/N: ^^


	5. Revealing What SHE Is

A/N: . How is Makoto going to take this? FINALLY some actual forward-moving, instead of the nit-picky flashbacks I've been having you guys read. ^^ Hope ya enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Wield your Thunder and Lightning as you wish, while all the other Senshi and coffee prince makers do their things, 'cause you're not my invention! TT^TT sad

**Revealing What SHE Is**

Makoto squirmed in the chair.

Now, she wasn't one who was easily nervous or a type of person to squirm, but then again, she'd never been faced with an almost-blank room of light blue that belonged to a millionaire's daughter, and especially a room which was supposed to be lived in.

Unless Ami had just moved in here recently. She sure didn't think so, but the only things that looked to be of 'home' was the fishtank and bed.

'Comfortable', she'd said. Yeah, she was as comfortable as a penguin in a sauna turned on high. Squirming a bit more in the chair, Makoto gave up and threw herself on the floor, sighing as the plush carpet soaked into her bottom and palms.

From what her future-employer was saying, the smaller girl wanted her to 'change'. But all the descriptions were something she could do, easily. It was almost perfect, actually. If Makoto just went and unconsciously kicked a flower pot over, it would have fit under Ami's description.

Ami unconsciously wanted Makoto to be herself.

As a girl.

"So, Mako-chan, I want you to become the most feminine you can be. I'm sure, given your 'manhood' and everything your ancestors raised you to be, you'll still have a lot of guy in you, so that'll take care of the 'butch' and dominating side of you for me."

Makoto nodded, bristling a bit when she recalled how 'manly' she could be.

She had basically grown up without adult supervision by the time she was seven, and when she'd been taken in, Miki's parents had left the artificial blonde to her when they'd both turned ten and eleven.

She adored the pesky girl and had considered herself the most fortunate she'd ever been in her life that she now had a sister. Only the problem of major spending on Miki's part, curbed early by Makoto when they'd first started living alone, was what brought her here.

Money.

But also, as an afterthought hot on its heels, Ami Mizuno herself.

She sat in the pose of casual relaxation, but there was something so fluid about it that it made Makoto look twice. Something inside of the smaller blue-haired girl seemed to shiver, and the Lightning Wielder found herself reminded of the roaring waterfalls she had taken training under.

Strong, pliant, giving, but dangerous.

A mighty river of power that had the mercilessness of a million warlords without a heart.

But something else spoke to her, and Makoto put aside all her fears that Ami Mizuno was a feral Senshi who had turned too early. It was in the way the girl held herself, intense and liable to sacrifice something she held dear to her to protect the things she truly needed to.

Makoto found herself drawn to those dark pools of blue, and she wondered if those same eyes had been the one to study her and the others through the small bubble that had followed her around.

If she had taken the foreshadowing to think bubbles popped on contact with the surface of something, then it would have been very harmless. Such as it was, it was amusing to watch the bubble float on invisible air currents and land in the tub with her without so much as a shiver to the shiny surface.

"Okay, Blue. I'm pretty sure I can do that. I've never really been called 'girly', but as a. . man, I'm sure I can put my past behind me and try something new for size."

Makoto smiled reassuringly and watched as Ami took out a pad and pen. Twirling it in her fingers, she raised it to pat herself in the arm and then pointed it at her, looking down to scrutinize the words she had on paper.

"Good for you, Mako-chan. Now, let's settle for payment. How's about. ."

And the millionaire proceeded to give her the amount each part of her body was worth when she touched them in public. Makoto noted the odd structure in wording, and she raised a hand, cutting off the money figures.

"In private, too. Sorry, Blue. I don't mean to be condescending or whatever about where you want to touch me, but let's include the pay for private lessons. Not that I'm some kind of body god here, but I want to keep some distance and that 'professional' atmosphere. S'okay with you?"

A small smile made its way onto Ami's lips.

Makoto grinned back, then paled slightly as the pen landed on her pursed lips.

"Oh, and as for kisses, well. . . Let's just fake those, shall we?"

The planning of money transfers was coming to a close.

0000000000000000000000000

"Luna! Where is Diana?"

"Artemis, she's with Setsuna, who's guarding Chibi-Usa and Hotaru in the Time Gates. Now, tell me, what are you doing here, and with someone who had already transformed without Usagi's knowledge, eh?"

Anyone looking up into the tree at the local park would blanch immediately at the feral snarls emanating from two cats, their eyes shooting daggers at each other.

After sprinting out of Ami's house, Artemis and Luna zeroed in on the park's tree, making sure no one saw them before they scuttled up the dense bark.

"Ami saw Usagi-chan passing by the donut shop one night, and her Henshin stick popped out. Luckily, I spotted the transformation before she could go berserk about herself and went to help. That was the night I left Minako. She didn't need my help anymore and could control her powers."

The purple head nodded grudgingly, then rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Why didn't you tell her about the other Senshi?"

Artemis whimpered and ducked low, looking out over the branches and clawing a bit of the bark off under his paws. A soft breeze ruffled their fur, and Luna's eyes widened when she caught the scent of burnt wheels.

"Hey, guys, haven't seen you two since Artemis left Minako-chan. You getting back together again?"

"Ara, Haruka, don't be so. . blunt. If you do, one of them might push us out of this tree and we'd look rather silly if two grown women fell after climbing up here like monkeys, right?"

"Fine, Michiru. So, you two, tell me."

Luna shook her head at the tall blond's curious nudgings, and she mrrowed plaintively to her partner, an aqua-haired beauty. They were both in civilian clothes, their slim frames appreciated by mortal and youma eye alike.

No wonder they had felt an earlier breeze. Haruka Teno'h was a renowed racer of nineteen, senshi of wind, and her partner, Michiru Kaioh, a talented violinist and painter, the senshi of the ocean. You couldn't find one without the other, and when the fights came, a golden ball was usually making a deep rut in the earth for a flood of submerging water.

"I've just told Artemis that Diana is with Setsuna, Hotaru, and ChibiUsa. They're probably getting restless-"

"*snort* Yeah. Setsuna transported Hotaru over to us, and now she's brought ChibiUsa back to Usagi. Diana and her are probably going to drop by any minute now, since she said there was nothing unusual going on with the youma and Queen Beryl."

The branches creaked alarmingly when a new figure appeared beside the four in the tree, and all gasped when the small cat yowled in joy and launched herself into the unsuspecting paws of Luna and Artemis.

"Setsuna! I thought you'd go over to our place when you'd drop back in!"

"Now, with Diana-chan over here wanting to see her mom and dad? Not a chance. How's Hota-chan been, Michiru?"

"Hello, Sets. Hotaru-chan's over at Usagi-chan's, probably pulling ChibiUsa's pigtails by now like our Princess does Mamoru-kun's. Or Rei-chan's. Funny, how they interact that way."

A trio of rumbled purrs interrupted them.

Diana had burrowed into the warmth of her parent's overjoyed hugs, and the three cats had their eyes closed, meowing happily. Smiling, the three senshi backed away, and with a soft wink, they disappeared, Setsuna drawing them into the Time Stream.

When they reappeared, it was under the privacy of their own home.

Looking at each other, they recalled the fuzzy interactions and sighed, until Setsuna turned her red eyes over to her housemates and cleared her throat, drawing their attention.

"There's a new senshi out there, guys, and Makoto-chan is the closest to her. I'm afraid she might lose it over the next couple of weeks, so we can't let her fully into the Inner Senshi's circle, like she was destined to. The only way to cure her is. . . Invite her in but keep Makoto-chan a secret, so she'll naturally relax."

Haruka and Michiru blinked.

The wind and ocean had been whispering, yet almost in a hushed voice.

Now they knew.

0000000000000000000000

A/N: Now to sort all this stuff out in my head. . ^^


	6. Making Plans

A/N: Now for the shopping of 'manly-yet-girly' Makoto! , *drool* ^^ Not really.

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me- wait, except for Ryohizu the fish. ^^

**Making Plans**

Makoto yawned, trying to wipe away the tears gathering in her eyes before Ami saw her. The smaller girl had the oddest way of knowing when something was bothering her, and Makoto found it a bit unnerving, after all the mischief Minako, Usagi, Rei, and Miki would want to put her through if they found her like that.

Ami had insisted on a change of clothes, and she'd dragged her over to the most expensive clothing shop she'd had the input to look into. Makoto was mildly curious the short-haired girl hadn't checked in with anyone as to where she was going except for a sharp whisper to the fish tank.

Tokyo's traffic was something to be aware of, but Ami seemed comfortable among the fast-moving cars, deftly dodging the hot exhaust pipes and pulling her after her with gentle tugs. Being taller, Makoto was surprised.

She had started to wonder if she was the only one who liked to do this for sport.

"Okay, Mako-chan, go pick out some suits. But make sure you look. . . girlish."

The firm command coming from the decisive girl almost made her laugh, but she swallowed her amusement and lightly tugged a dark suit from the racks.

She was supposed to be a guy, after all. A guy who needed money and was a vain suck-up for the crisp folds of dough. Huh. Like she could be like that without being heartless. So Makoto opted to be herself.

It was amazing there could be so many different suits for women that made them look dominating and there, and as Makoto browsed, she was surprised to find the shop girls starting to circle her, moving in and pointing out some sharp clothes.

What surprised her more, though, was that Ami let the women go around and help her into various states of non-revealing undress while she sat down and browsed through a magazine, flipping the pages like a casual observer.

Those blue eyes were studying her, Makoto could feel it.

First they zeroed in on her hair, down to where her neck was when she was facing away, then diving sharply to her shoulderblade when she twisted it to ease away the crick from carrying all the heavy suits on one arm, sifting through clothes with the other.

"Here, put them into this basket, Mako-chan. It's easier this way."

She gratefully dumped them into the waiting box. Usually she could hold her own without complaint or help, but shopping didn't really seem to be her thing. Grocery shopping more like it, since she knew exactly what she was going to buy, but for clothes?

More like Miki's style.

"Speaking from experience there, Blue?"

Makoto stopped a moment, looking down into the curving soft lips. Ami grinned, then, and she swore she saw the fountains come to life out of the corner of her eye. Must be time to have flipped the switch.

"When I first started defying my aunt, this was the most obvious way of going about it. Dressing up to start 'clubbing' and trying to find someone who'd go along with me. Heh, I should have listened to Artemis. He knew there were certain people out there, men and women, who would run off with their pockets full the first chance they got. He wanted the person to be someone. . . special."

The soft voice was tinged with amusement, but Makoto frowned.

"Why me, then?"

It was probably the most obvious question to ask at the moment.

Besides, didn't she say she would poke her nose in her employer's personal life before she was satisfied she was in good hands?

Well, it was too late to retract the question, but Ami seemed to want to contemplate her answer instead of taking offense. The smaller hands browsed through the racks gently, parting the silken material as something of an afterthought. Makoto picked up on the unconscious hint and was glad she did when Ami looked over and smiled.

The clock on the wall read nearing seven, and Makoto wondered how long her employer had. She was usually more efficient of her time. Picking up the top few clothes off of the ever-growing pile, Makoto slipped into a nearby changing stall and slipped off her pants.

She winced when she looked down at her toes, then ankles.

Though only a couple inches above her feet, the stall was almost like a bathroom, with the big fat crack for people to peer into while someone was changing. Makoto panicked, wondering if there were any major differences of a guy's toes and a girl's toes.

Oh, what did it matter, now, Ami wouldn't look, anyway.

"I. . I chose you because I'd seen you running down the streets in the morning, delivering chopsticks even when you didn't have to. Well, I guess what I mean is, I DID check up on you. At least, myself. I followed you to your karate class, so I knew you had that. I just thought you had pride and sensuality as a person, rather than go into some money-grabbing job. That was one of my main reasons. I. . really hope we can become friends, after this thing is over, Mako-chan. I-I'd really like that."

Makoto gulped, trying to shake the personal feeling hanging in the air when Ami finished speaking. Shaking herself like a dog, Makoto patted her clothes down and stared at herself in the mirror. Ami had seen her in her gi?

Wow, she was lucky she hadn't curbed on her laziness and resorted to wearing tank tops in the early season of summer!

Practically stuffing herself into the simple suit, Makoto flung open the door and stomped out, squeezing her eyes shut at her obvious lack of common sense. If Ami even thought she was a girl, she was certain the millionaire would dump her faster than a sack of hot potatoes.

Dump. . her?

Makoto paused, about stomping back into the stall and slamming herself in like a grumpy bear about to hibernate stubbornly before winter. She had no claim to Ami Mizuno, her money, her problems, her being. Why was she hesitating so much to tell her she was really female?

It would certainly clear up any problems if her aunt caught she was female when she was supposed to be 'male-as-female'. Makoto snorted and felt her brow furrow. She'd blame it on the inner want to never be abandoned again.

She'd been hurt before, she might as well steel herself before she was hurt again.

"Wow, Mako-chan, it looks great on you!"

The appreciative outburst snapped her out of it, and Makoto turned back as she watched those dark blue orbs lighten up, just a slight shade. It teased out a smile from her, and she cocked her head to the side, feeling the collar and loosening the top button to show off a bit of her collarbone.

"Yeah, it'll go over well with your aunt, eh? Look, Blue, it's better if we use these fast, so we can return them, get your money back."

Ami's smile dimmed, not in shape, but Makoto could swear she could feel the air start to chill her as something shifted inside the smaller girl. Grinning nervously, she backtracked to the main point.

"B-But. . . concerning your want to be friends- I'd really like that, too!"

Ami's inner glow returned, and that light shade came over her eyes again. But something else, not that exact same chill, but something just like that was flickering, low in her gut, and she'd sensed this before, countless times.

Before she could think it over, the lights flickered above them, then winked out completely.

Makoto reacted on instinct, dragging Ami to her as she rolled under the large table in the middle of the room holding the many sizes of boxers and shorts. The cieling above them rumbled and creaked, and it was a sound she'd heard many times before: A youma was attacking the building.

Sure to her guess, screams sounded, and Makoto cursed as she glared over at the red exit light on the other side of the room. The ceiling hadn't fallen down on them yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Scootching both of them out from under the heavy table, Makoto picked Ami up and ran out towards the exit. She could already hear the ceiling breaking over them, and plaster was falling in sharp pieces onto her shoulders and bare neck.

Judging by the heavy footsteps and humongous craters above her, the youma was something really big in mass and walked like a human. Or at least it stayed on the ground in duration to its steps.

Makoto fought the calling of her henshin pen and thought frantically.

She knew Ami could very well protect herself, turning into a senshi, but if she turned alongside her, well, explanations would probably kill her. Of course, several lives of fellow humans would be lost, and she couldn't have that.

Well, screw her job.

Sliding out the door on her hip baseball-player style, Makoto threw Ami onto a fluffy couch conveniently right in front of the lobby and whipped out her henshin stick. She could hardly see in the darkness, except for the unstable flickering of the red exit light, but it didn't matter.

Makoto had not trained all her life for nothing.

"Jupiter Planet Power, Make U-uhhp..?"

Something in the darkness clamped onto her upraised arm, and Makoto struggled as she felt the familiar cloth of senshi gloves and a flash of blond hair. What was Sailor Uranus doing here? And why was she restricting her transformation?

Makoto bit down on the uppermost finger in warning and the offending hand slowly went away. Turning angrily, she gestured to her unfinished transformation, skirt and blouse not included, and stalked off to grab a shirt.

"What are you two DOI-?"

"Shh, Makoto-chan, quiet."

"QUIET? While people DIE?"

"That's not true. LISTEN, Makoto-chan."

In the dark, Makoto strained to hear, the unwelcome intrusion of the Outer Senshi throwing her heartbeat into her usually-perfect hearing and making her think she was hearing things.

The ceiling had already caved in, for one thing, she was certain of that.

But there was something else. . .

*drip*

Makoto breathed out, slowly.

*drip*

The water sounded so lonely, so distant and cold. . .

*DRIP*

"MERCURY BUBBLE, BLAST!"

And the whole room gleamed white as bubbles cold as ice and an eternal time deadly invaded the air, launching themselves at the hulking beast towered dangerously in the far upper right corner of the building.

It roared, and Makoto saw its hide being none-too-gently ripped from its bones as the bubbles lodged itself into its greasy pelt, thick and dark brown from living in the Negaverse's putrid world. Red eyes gleamed and widened as one of the bubbles hit the brass half-ring in its snout, throwing its head back and revealing a set of broken fangs.

Ami stood, transformed, before it, her stance menacing and dark as she smiled coldly at the youma. No mercy was apparent in those frigid eyes, and Makoto gulped as she tried to breathe through her mouth, her breath frozen in her chest.

She was wearing a senshi uniform, all right, but somehow, it was different.

The color was wrong, it was too dark, too dull, too. . lifeless, that it seemed to draw the life out of the girl wearing it and seemingly sucked her into the walls.

Makoto tried to run forwards, tell her she would finish it off, she didn't want to see that heartless gleam of bloodlust in those eyes anymore, she didn't want to see those soft blue locks of hair flare with the intent to kill, even in the name of. .

In the name of what?

Uranus held her back, and Makoto noted with an enraged disattachment, Neptune was studying the ice wielder intently, flaring with some unseen-before energy herself.

"No, Makoto-chan. Wait. She's done this before. Watch. Don't look away. You've had to do this, too."

And Makoto watched.

She watched as the smaller senshi's face contorted in a pained scar, watched as she crossed her arms over her chest to deliver that final blow to rid the youma of its possessed mortal. It was utter hell to watch, but Ami had her captivated. She had her bewitched.

Ami struggled to push out with her power, struggled to produce the death-making bubbles she could finish the youma off with. With every second, her will seemed to pulse, then fade. Then, at the last second, Ami strengthened her resolve.

"Die."

Beside her, Makoto felt the two Outer Senshi rush the younger girl.

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"Thunder! Why haven't you transformed yet?"

Makoto grimly looked into those raging violet eyes tinged with the finest of fire-red, and shook her head. She didn't know the reason as to why she had been prevented to, either, but telling Sailor Mars that right now wasn't going to keep her from being fried.

Instead, she pulled rank from the taller senshi in the midst of battle.

"Sailor Uranus didn't let me. She told me to help the civilians. It's what I've been doing. Now all you guys have to do is to try and calm down Ami over there."

Makoto didn't shy away from the anger in those eyes.

She stared back, instead supplying information to the dark-haired priestess.

"Ami's my employer, and currently a senshi. I think she's gone crazy under the strain of defeating a youma here earlier. She's the one in the really dark blue."

Sailor Mars grit her teeth and stood to look, nodding as she spotted the said girl.

A surprised gasp made Makoto look up from her tending of wounds to a crying woman in her mid-sixties, urging her out the door and into safety. Fire seemed to glow across Sailor Mars' forehead, and Makoto instantly recognized the symbol for her planet.

How she missed her own right now, on the sidelines of battle.

"Thunder. . . She's got some kind of inner turmoil going on about her, and it's attached to her like a youma would possess a mortal. But. . she's fighting it, even as she tries to defend herself without hurting us."

Neptune had thrown a small Deep Submerge to wet down the girl, and it was easily ignored, since there was really no force behind it. Sailor Venus' Love-Me Chains were holding her down, though, and Sailor Moon had come behind Ami and had bopped her on the head with her fist, looking pained when she did.

There WAS something dark sticking to Ami, and Makoto then realized that was the reason why the senshi was looking so dark and devoid of life. Running over to her fellow friends, Makoto gestured for Minako to extract her chains when Ami returned to her unconscious civilian form.

"I think I know why she's like this, guys. And now, knowing what you've told me, I want to thank you, Haru-chan. If I'd transformed and attacked her, it wouldn't really fit into my plan."

And so, with the girls detransforming around her, Makoto told them what her plan was.

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A/N: . Wow, let's just say, I've released up all my pent-up frustration by writing Ami is as strong as I think she is. It's kind of annoying, to me, how they make the senshi as powerless as they seem. Well, hoped you liked it!


	7. Appearances Donned

A/N: Okay, so Makoto DIDN'T state her plan in the next chapter before. ^^; Maybe I shouldn't have pointed that out, now you're wondering. .. Hope you're enjoying this, I'll reveal Makoto's plan now! ((And get around to watching the actual episodes of Coffee Prince, since I think I've only gotten to ep. teen -something a couple years back. ^^;))

DISCLAIMER: Scald me with burning water, but I'll state now Sailor Moon and Coffee Prince characters aren't ((and plot)) mine. ^^

**Appearances Donned**

Makoto glanced over at the prone figure on the bed.

After the shopping incident, all the senshi had demanded to know why and how was there another senshi who had let herself go into this bad of a state. She had just shrugged and moved to pick Ami up, walking over to the counter and laying a couple of bills on the cracked surface.

They'd spent two hours shopping for these clothes, and she wasn't going to waste all the time and effort spent in picking out the expensive material.

They ran out of the building and into Haruka's car, screeching away on two burning wheels when they heard the police cars' sirens.

"Why is she like this?"

Usagi's usually-bubbly voice had soothed into a concerned whisper, and all the senshi looked at their princess. Makoto shifted, tugging the unconscious girl to her in a loose hold. Haruka's foot pressed harder on the gas pedal, manuevering the car expertly around slower vehicles and heading to the millionaire's home.

"Our guess, Koneko-chan, is she has something really bad going on in her life. You Inner Senshi haven't gotten this, since most of your troubles have been eased away by each other's friendship. Only Michiru and Setsuna have really been through anything like this. We, girls, were lucky someone was there when we turned. Koneko-chan was also lucky in that aspect, since Luna was there."

Makoto looked over at the violinist, and she remembered earlier how Sailor Neptune had been tense and slightly pained.

Moving over to place an arm on the painter's shoulder, Makoto looked into those deep blue eyes, so much like Ami's yet ultimately more vast and deep, like the sea and ocean she commanded.

"Tell me, how did you cure your problem?"

Those blue eyes blinked, and the light in them intensified.

"I found Haruka."

A chuckle from the blond, and everyone couldn't help but grin and sigh as the two women drew close to each other and nuzzled into a warm embrace.

"Yup. I'm her rockstar from the past. She loves me."

The statement was said so endearingly that everyone laughed at the smug racer.

Makoto looked down at the girl in her lap and knew Ami's problem ran deeper than a simple attraction to mate. If only she could help. Well, maybe she would be able to. She may not know Ami's horrid aunt, but she was confident in her skills to win people over when she wanted to.

She hadn't just punched and kicked her way through all her old school.

She'd be able to cope with another enraged guardian.

Makoto grinned to herself.

It was a promise she'd never back down from.

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"Mm. So, listen to this. Ami here has a POSSIBLY-abusive aunt that just wants her to own up to her over-stressive future and become head brain of the sleazeball kajam- and this is where WE come in."

Makoto felt the incredulous stares of her friends, and she smiled nervously even as she held her index finger up to enhance her point.

Minako was openly looking at Ami with an interest, and Makoto saw the blonde's eyes glimmer in something akin to cat-like curiousity. They all were standing on the ledge outside of Ami's bedroom window, huddled underneath the sill.

"What do you mean, this is where WE come in? Mako-chan, she hired YOU."

"*sigh* As much as I hate to say this, Thunder, to recruit this new senshi, the only one who has access to her is YOU."

"Rei-chan, Usagi-chan might say this, given her usual way, but I'm hungry. Why are we standing on a ledge that's about my pinky's length when we could be at Andrew's getting free drinks and snacks?"

Makoto waved away the apprehension and nodded to Minako as her own stomach. Glancing over her shoulder, Makoto contemplated the thought of staying until the smaller girl woke, but quickly smushed it down.

Michiru had said earlier that whenever she had fallen into something of a hole like this, it had taken her a full day to wake up. 'Or at least ten hours,' the smiling woman had joked. 'And that was a first, since I woke to Haruka's kiss. I never went back into that hole again.'

Scaling the tall mansion wall with ease, Makoto jumped to the ground and helped her friends down, even when they protested slightly. Usagi and Minako jumped laughingly into her arms, but Rei grit her teeth as Makoto threatened to pull her down.

"I've got it, Thunder. Now, about this plan of yours. .?"

Walking, Makoto explained what she had in mind.

"See, I thought if I introduced you to Ami, and you guys tell her you're senshi, then she'll be part of us, right? Well, according to Michiru and Haruka, we need to get to the root of Ami's problems: her aunt. I'll act out her 'butch girfriend', except I'm supposed to be a guy-"

"WAITAMINUTE! Makoto? You never TOLD us THAT was your job!"

Makoto paused, her face warming as they stood in the doorway to Andrew's shop. The door was held open, and many more eyes were drawn to the four, including the ones that would normally at the door's opening.

Grabbing Minako's arm, she hustled them into the bathroom and slammed the door, locking it shut and shushing them frantically. Andrew smiled at them curiously but kept on tending the counter. The rush wasn't here yet, so Makoto could take a break.

"Quiet DOWN, will you, Minako-chan? I didn't MEAN it like that! She hired me because she wants her aunt to disown her of her position so she can become a. . I think she said a doctor. After her mom, yeah, that's it."

Nodding at the three, Makoto stared into their eyes.

Usagi broke in, curious.

"What about you, eh, Mako-chan? We can't really fight without Sailor Jupiter as well, and I'm going to really miss your cooking if you gotta go and stay with Ami-chan all the time!"

Trust her Princess to ensnare her in that wide-eyed blue of hungry desperation.

Makoto laughed and twirled her hand about her head in a lock-swirling motion.

"You won't have to go without me. Good thing I cut my ponytail, eh?"

Minako and Usagi's eyes widened, and they broke out into smiles. They caught on pretty fast when cooking and appearances were at stake. Plopping down out of the bathroom, they hopped onto the rotating bar stools situated at the counter and ordered drinks.

Rei came up behind Makoto and frowned.

"Hey, what about her inheritance? I mean, she DOES have a legitimate blood right to the money and business, and from what I'd gleaned from the house, she's well off, even if she IS being abused."

Makoto nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I asked her the same thing when we first met. She said her aunt wouldn't stop at anything to making her sign it over, by force, if necessary. It seems Ami doesn't really want it, either, even if it is her inheritance. I never asked about her dad before, maybe some other problems come from there."

She turned in surprise when Rei's hand pressed into her forehead. Dark eyes drilled into hers, and Makoto had the distinct impression the fire-wielder was looking into her soul. Shaking her off gently, Makoto grabbed the glass Usagi held out and pressed it to her cheek.

"Thunder, when I first came and met you guys, Mina-chan and Usa-chan was really bright when they transformed. I guess you could say Usa-chan was brighter, and Mina-chan was close behind, but when you transformed, I saw something flicker, right behind your crystal heart. Did you have problems, Thunder?"

Makoto shivered.

Yes.

Yes, she did, but right now, she didn't want to think about it. Nodding, the tall girl moved onto a stool and patted the seat beside her. When Rei took the hint, she called them in for a group hug, then stood.

"I'll tell you what I had bugging me before you guys came into my life. We can even have a reminiscing night, for all it matters. But what we need to do now is find out what's wrong with Ami and try to fix it."

Usagi and Minako nodded, and Rei did, too.

"Good. Settled, then?"

Smiling at the determined looks she'd come to recognize over the past few years they'd been together, Makoto moved away, tossing the extra few bills to pay for their drinks.

"Thanks, Mako-chan! You should do this more often! This way, you'll get more practice at being 'dominant' or whatever, and Ami-chan won't wonder if you're only after her money!"

Makoto cringed, about blushing.

"I-It's the only thing I AM allowed after, Usagi-chan!"

"No, no, Makoto, you can win her heart, too! But I don't think you want to jump in too fast! Where are you going, anyway?"

Makoto headed towards the door.

Trust Minako to make things more than they would be.

"I may have finished teaching my early monsters their lessons in karate this morning, but I need to find me a wig, remember?"

The cheers that followed her were deafening.

The hand that clasped her retreating shoulder was firm, kind.

"Wait up, Thunder, I'm going with you to make sure you get one in the right color. You know how those sales-ladies are, so quick on jumping the gun to get you to part from your wallet. Besides, then you can tell me about. . Ami-chan."

Makoto was surprised, but grinned.

"Okay, Rei-chan. Let's go. There's also another part to this I don't want to tell the other two about. It's kind of secretive, but it won't hurt anybody when we're done. I'll clear it up with everyone later, too, including Ami."

Rei rolled her eyes, following her taller friend out the door.

"So says the rope holding the tiny snowball on top of a hill above a camp of cannibals."

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"Too short."

"B-But it was EXACTLY like this before, when I got it cut!"

"Too bad, I'm curious, and I know for a fact Usa-chan and Mina-chan have wondered what you'd look like with longer hair."

"Hmph. Fine, what about this?"

"Too dark."

"I dyed my hair, it's SUPPOSED to look dark!"

"No, Thunder, it's supposed to be darker than your actual head of hair!"

"I look like a skunk!"

"They have a white streak, you don't."

"Yeah, well let's see YOU try on a wig!"

"Fine, I WILL!"

"!"

". . ."

"Wow. That looks really goo-"

"Shut it, Kino."

"*snicker* Got no complaint from me."

"Geez, you two. Here, let me pick something for you. Mako-chan, here's for you, and. . Rei-chan, here's one for. . you. Just if you're ever interested in wearing one."

"Ara, Haruka, you always know the perfect accessories to seduce someone, eh?"

"H-Haru-chan! Michiru-chan! W-We're not. .! We were only-!"

"Getting it for Ami-chan, we know. Just teasing, Makoto-chan. Don't worry, Rei-chan, that suits you just fine."

"Hmph. I don't need a wig. I need a barber."

"Space Swords are meant for more mundane things like chopping hair-"

"Nope, thank you, Haruka-chan, I'm GOOD."

Makoto turned and looked at her reflection in the three-way mirror. It hadn't even been a day and she'd be in front of two of these already. She was becoming a glutton, looking at her own reflection like that.

Turning her head, Makoto studied the clip-on ponytail Haruka had chosen.

It suited her just right, she realized.

Hanging pertly like it would usually do, the dark strands coiled and tucked into each other to wave about the back in a splayed manner, but still controlled. Longer than what hers had been, it hit her right above where her elbows would connect to her sides.

Well, it felt awkward enough, but with a slight adjustment to it, she would be able to get it.

"You know, Mako-chan, you can just have Koneko-chan look at you and just add the ponytail during your Sailor Jupiter transformation. It'd be so much easier than lugging that around with you. Here, let's take a picture to show her so you won't have to buy it."

Makoto laughed.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

Haruka grinned, her eyes lowering in the usual teasing manner.

"Because you bring the LIGHTNING, darlin'."

Makoto grinned back.

"And you bring the hot air, cutie buns."

Michiru and Rei laughed behind them and they turned to each other in the mirror, dare sparkling in their eyes.

Oh, it was good to have such fun friends.

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A/N: Well, plan's out. Simple and plain, or so it seems. . . ^^


	8. If Only This Wasn't So Hard

A/N: o.0 AACCK! I just did a search, and there's ALREADY been a fanfiction for this! ,0 Oo-oh. Well, I think it's with Usagi and Mamoru, but STILL! I had to look for a title at the last minute, and since Makoto and Ami are both girls, well, might as well use 'Princess', right? Well, someone else took the title! 0.o Better go back and change it! ^^; ((I changed the title, which was previously 'Coffee Princess'. ^^ Now it's what it is.))

DISCLAIMER: Coffee Prince and Sailor Moon don't belong to me, because if they did, I'd be doing wierd things to the characters and they wouldn't be near so great as they are now. ^^

**If Only This Wasn't So Hard**

A pair of warm brown eyes twinkled in excitement at her, and Makoto tried to keep the rolling of her eyes under the brim of her baseball cap.

Miki stood at her side, practically bouncing in her spot as she leaned on the doorbell, then took the old-fashioned western knocker and gave the door a good banging with the crisp gold handle. It never failed to surprise her the knocker was never stolen.

Maybe, with all the rich cha-ching cash rolling around, Ami's aunt bribed the thugs that would normally steal garbage off Tokyo's streets to not steal the obviously-fake door knocker.

Makoto arrived on the front steps of the Mizuno household, gently easing her sister off of the doorbell and stood waiting at the house's steps.

Or should she say mansion-hold?

Yes, their gigantic white house was something out of a dreamland world, and although Makoto had passed this same mansion numerous times throughout her deliveries every morning, it struck her as odd that she was standing in front of it about to deliver a pair of chopsticks.

Don't ask.

Shuffling in her shoes, Makoto refrained from slicking up her hair like a pre-teen about to enter a club under a fake ID. It wasn't as if she was here to do something outrageous like confess her love to Ami.

Especially with Miki there at her side, her seventeen-year-old demeanor coming out fully as she reapplied her lipstick and swung her bangs out of her eyes. She would NOT make a fool of herself in front of her impressionable relative.

But it was close, though.

After yesterday, Ami had called and had apologized about her transformation. Somehow the smaller senshi had assumed she was in touch with the other senshi, since she'd seen them running around together most times when they were not transformed.

Makoto was impressed despite herself. Ami had done her homework, and it was a close haul that she hadn't seen Sailor Jupiter or most of the senshi when transformed. It was almost as if the genius millionaire was the missing link of sanity in their otherwise-hectic group.

"So, Mako-chan, please. I'm requesting our first outing to my aunt. It'll be in our own house, and on my terms. And in return, you get to make a great sell of your special chopsticks and some hungry paparazzi will swoop down onto Andrew's cafe. Works for all."

At the time, it seemed so dry, black and white.

Now, though, as Makoto stood in front of the hulking white seemingly-porcelain doors, she wasn't so sure. The butterflies in her stomach had come alive, and she was surprised. Being a senshi, she had faced down the faces of hell itself, had smelled the foulest of breath that would make a caterpillar's toes curl, and only NOW she was nervous?

Insane.

Looking up at the sky, Makoto grimly smiled.

It was almost as if it was out of some horror story. Dark clouds had gathered over the main area of Tokyo, and she could already taste the raindrops on her tongue, it was that close to raining. Thunder hinted at loosening the cinches of its roar, and Makoto sighed.

She really did feel at ease during thunderstorms.

It was a part of her, feeling the currents of electricity in the air, the magic of heat and the danger of frying keeping her on her toes, even though she knew she was safe from harm.

Now, if only she felt at ease in her slightly all-too-revealing top.

For a guy, it was all-so-cool and showed off their natural guy muscles, but with Makoto, she felt as if she was revealing all her vulnerabilities in human form. Even though she wore much less during fights in her senshi uniform, this was her life, and she was responsible here.

Feeling Miki lean into her arm, Makoto raised an eyebrow and gently teased the smaller girl, drawing her arm up to waggle the chosticks.

"Aww, does wittle Miki-chan wanna be the one to give the pwecious chopshticks to the all-important aunt of Ami-"

"No way! I was just wondering why you brought me here!"

Makoto flushed bright, and she smiled her most confident. She wished right now she had told her blonde sister what was required of her job. Well, too late now. Besides, they said hand-on was better than explaining through words, right?

Right.

"Well, Miki, because that dummy Bojo you was dating-"

"His name is Boja!"

"Yeah, like there's a difference."

"There is!"

"Is not!"

"OH! Mi-chan! Hey, I was just passing by, and I heard this scrawny idiot talkin' all loud- please, Mi-chan. Will you marry me?"

Makoto jumped and stared at the guy that appeared out of nowhere to kneel at their feet. Miki was staring, too, but not as shocked as Makoto was. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Miki snorted and grinned down at the boy, ruffling his hair as she did so to ease her words.

"Sorry, Boja. I've gotta wait. Mako-neechan said so."

"! What do you MEAN, this fella's tellin' you ta- Wait. What? Mako-NEECHAN? Th-This guy? This SCRAWNY, tall, overbearing dark-head is a GIR-?"

"What about it, pup? I still can beat you with my hand crocheting doilies. And yes, I'm her SISTER, dumdum!"

Makoto couldn't help but snicker as those brown eyes widened in shock, then squeezed shut and tried to comprehend what was expected of him. The form that was slumped on his knees flew to his feet, and she calmly smiled at him.

"Yes, I'm her SISTE-"

"Why, hello, who must you be, eh?"

"BROTHER, such a nice, supportive, overwhelmingly strong BROTHER! Good morning ma'am, we've come to bring the chopsticks you'd ordere-"

"We don't need those anymore, thank you. Goodbye."

*SLAM!*

Makoto blinked.

What just happened?

Rewind.

_"Well, Miki, because that dummy Bojo you was dating-"_

_"His name is Boja!"_

_"Yeah, like there's a difference."_

_"There is!"_

_"Is not!"_

_"OH! Mi-chan! Hey, I was just passing by, and I heard this scrawny idiot talkin' all loud- please, Mi-chan. Will you marry me?"_

Fast-forward.

Ah, stop.

While in the middle of a VERY disturbing realization for Boja, a smug comeback from Makoto, and a bored let-down from Miki, the door creaks open on well-oiled hinges. Grey eyes stare stonily out, and no one notices.

Finally,

_"Yes, I'm her SISTE-"_

_"Why, hello, who must you be, eh?"_

_"BROTHER, such a nice, supportive, overwhelmingly strong BROTHER! Good morning ma'am, we've come to bring the chopsticks you'd ordere-"_

_"We don't need those anymore, thank you. Goodbye." _

_*SLAM!*_

And thunder rolls as Makoto, Miki, and Boja stand out in the streets of busy Tokyo, rain pelting hard on their faces as the skies let loose an angry roar. Makoto grit her teeth and glared at the doorway, stopping when she noticed the paint peeling from her unconscious senshi powers.

The woman had been tall, taller than Boja but still shorter than Makoto.

She'd stood with a rigid tautness to her posture, and Makoto wondered if her back had been installed with an extra spine. Those grey eyes had judged her in the span of two seconds, and while that first .075 second had been as a nice tall lady, the rest had been not welcome at all.

Ice had brittled the edges of her words, and Makoto had felt as if the woman had literally picked her up and dunked her into an ice cave full of poisonous snakes.

Creepy.

The woman had been creepy.

And what was more creepy, the woman looked exactly like Ami.

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Frowning down icily at the shivering guy at her feet, Makoto snapped.

The last time she had been treated like that, she was shoveling horse manure from her rare job of caretaker. When she'd signed on for the job, she was a girl who was looking for a quick buck outside of home, hoping to scrape enough money to buy some presents for her parents.

She'd quickly quit the job when the woman who hired her plopped her on top of a horse, thinking that Makoto could tame a wild, bucking horse as well as she could clean one up.

Snarling, Makoto spun on her heels and about ripped her shirt off in the process, grabbing the knocker and thumping the piece of colored brass against the door. It wasn't that she was angry. No, far from it. It was just that, manners were something that was taught to her and stuck, and if the woman behind that door had anything like a lesson in it, then she would be much nicer than she had been.

"Mizuno-san, you might not want these, but your niece has so kindly paid for these out of her own wallet! Now open up and accept these or these chopsticks will do the honor of shimmying the lock on this door-!"

"Really, Mako-chan, just WHAT kind of girlfriend have I gotten myself involved with?"

Makoto about swallowed her tongue when the door opened and Ami grinned at her from the other side. Her fist had went right through the now-not-there door and had headed straight for the smaller girl's face.

Ami reached up and gently tapped it away with a simple swat to her wrist.

"B-Blue, I was just trying to get your aunt to open up here and be a little friendly. ."

Those blue eyes that studied her narrowed in an amused smile, and Makoto exhaled. The ice wielder wasn't mad at her! She studied the figure propped up against the door frame and growled low in her throat at the nudge Miki jabbed in her side.

Smiling apologetically, Makoto grabbed her little sister's hand and twirled her, asking silently for her to behave. Boja seemed to notice the odd exchange and kept quiet himself, looking Ami over and letting out a low dog's whistle.

Makoto turned and gave him a knock to the head.

Even if Ami was wearing something so damnably cute, Makoto was not going to let just any guy ogle her new 'girlfriend'. She had a reputation to uphold. Letting go of Miki, Makoto stepped closer to Ami and pressed her hand to a shivering cheek.

Somehow the rain behind her had slowed to a warm drizzle, and as Ami leaned into her touch and moved away to invite them all in, thunder gave a purring rumble and lightning slashed happily across the sky.

"Come in, would you?"

Giving her employer a smile, Makoto let the blonde go in front of her and snagged the tight hem of the black material and tugged as Boja flailed, trying to run frantically after Miki.

"Sorry, pup, you're staying outside tonight."

"B-But. .!"

"Mako-chan, he can come in. Besides, I'm sure Miki will need some company while my aunt inevitably questions your 'intentions' towards her 'moneybag'."

Blue eyes curled into hers, and Makoto sighed, bringing her bangs down to break the blush crawling across her cheeks. Ami was not doing her good, smiling like that, and she wasn't even in the front door.

Nodding, Makoto let go of the skin-head and he scampered after his unrequited love, calling out his awe when he glanced around. Walking inside herself, Makoto about froze when the new scent of disinfectant hit her.

White marble hit her eyes like a headlight coming from a monster truck, and she stumbled, gripping the banister close to her hand. Makoto cried out slightly when her hand slipped, and her body fell close after.

"Really, Mako-chan, you're supposed to have fallen for me at first sight. Don't you know that by now?"

Ami's teasing voice was near her ear, and Makoto shivered once more as she felt herself being hugged by the smaller girl, the warmth engulfing her something she wouldn't have thought capable from the senshi she had seen yesterday.

Blue was warm against her back, supporting her, guiding her to a more stable position, and Makoto felt the churning warmth curl deep inside her. Jupiter called faintly to her, and Makoto felt the gentle calling of her planet saying everything was right for once in the world.

"Sorry, Blue. I'll be sure to remember that next time she meet."

"Honestly! Mako-neechan, you should have called me when you first met her! I coulda given you obvious pointers!"

The jerking movement, and Makoto was once again herself.

Glaring over at her grinning sister, she pounced on the blonde and gave her a good noogie, making sure she was okay before going ahead and picking her up, twirling her threateningly.

"Oh yeah? What could you possibly ever teach me in the art of seduction, Miki? How to fall gracefully? Already got that down pat."

Freezing, Makoto stopped twirling when a cold hand landed on her arm.

"Falling, Mako-chan? When?"

Looking down into blue eyes, Makoto wished to anything she hadn't said that. Miki suddenly felt heavy in her arms and she let her slip away, turning to face her employer. Suddenly, making light of it all was something she wanted to do.

"Oh, it was a bad experience from my past, before I was taken in by Miki and her parents. I lived on the streets, and there was one guy who protected me and taught me how to survive when I was new on the street and being bullied. He. . I really liked him, but somehow, he just viewed me as a-"

Makoto's eyes widened when Miki jabbed her hard in the stomach. It didn't hurt, but that was at exactly the same time she remembered she was supposed to be a guy pretending to be a girl.

Cripes.

_Think, Makoto, THINK!_

"I respected him so much I thought I'd come to like someone wh-who's not of the opposite gender! A-Ahahaa, yeah, and, um, h-he only viewed me as someone he could care for, but as a- a brother figure! Yeah, and that's the end of that! C'mon, Miki, we need to find Boja before he gets himself in another wierd predicament!"

It was time for another slap to the face.

Makoto gave herself one as she ran off, dragging Miki after her and keeping an eye out for the blocky guy. She found him in the other room, chatting up a storm as he curled around an older Mizuno, grinning like crazy as he popped a piece of rich-woman's candy in his mouth.

"Oh, yes, Shelona-baby, I am VERY closely-acquainted to the. . riches of a man or woman's inner strength. Why, right now, I can very well show you just HOW much I know. ."

"Pup-boy! Just what in the world are you DOING? She's-"

"I'm very intrigued by Bohunk here, Chopstick Deliverer. He's. . Ami's kind of man."

Makoto was sure her jaw dropped to the floor and slid its way to the other side of the far wall. Miki's idiot suitor was making goo-goo eyes at Ami's aunt, and Makoto about barfed up all her innards if not for the fact she was in horror Ami's older self was returning the look with a gooey whisper of her own.

Red claws snaked their way over bald curls, and Makoto could swear she could hear the train whistle streaming out of the idiot's flaring nostrils.

"M-Mrs. Mizuno, I think you'r-"

"MS. to YOU, Chopsuey. What ARE you doing here in my house? And along with that- that poodle-like blondie?"

Makoto saw red.

Sure, she delivered chopsticks.

Sure, Miki looked like a poodle right now, with her insane hair-skills, but she was a heckuva NICE poodle, all big eyes and nice, not slobbering up a lather like a CERTAIN SOMEONE was over a decrepit YOUNG idiot who had the nerve to suck up to long-claws like herself.

Before she could counter, though, Ami was there.

"Shelona-chan, what did I TELL you in dressing up like me and flouncing around in front of our guests?"

The ice wielder's voice was disapproving, but what made Makoto's head hurt was the soft warmth in the tone used. In Boja's arms, the woman was slowly turning younger and younger as she jumped up out of the embrace and whipped off a head of short blue hair.

!

Makoto then understood.

It seemed wigs were popular nowadays, and people not only used them for actual need, but for disguises and costume complements. The woman that stood before her was now a red-head, and Makoto saw the perfect glint of fire-like orange matching the red hue of her sharp nails.

Boja was staring up at the small woman, his brow twisted in confusion, and Makoto almost laughed, she felt the same way. The cold glint in those grey eyes were pulled away, and she realized, again, it was a simple switch of color.

Contacts.

Sweet.

Shelona was a curvy red-head, and the challenge in those flaring green eyes were enough color to paint the whole of the blinding white walls and make it comfortable again.

"So, Chopsticks, what's your name?"

Smiling wryly, Makoto held out her hand and replied, shaking her head.

"Makoto Kino. Karate teacher, cook, cafe partner."

"Ah, so YOU'RE Ami-chan's girlfriend she was talking about all the time. Whoa, don't choke there honey, she HAS told me a lot about you. Yet I STILL wasn't expecting. . this."

The laughing glint in those eyes spoke positively, and she relaxed, sighing as she glanced over at Ami. A blush was apparent on those smooth cheeks, and Makoto had the intense urge to pinch those cheeks between her fingers and kiss the stings she knew she'd make.

"Oh, Koto-honey, behave yourself. Ami's REAL aunt doesn't handle affectionate glances all that much like cute Poodle here does. What's your name, fluffy?"

Jerking her gaze away, Makoto answered for her little hell-demon of a relative.

"That's Miki. She's my little sister, and the one that was hooked around your little finger is pup-boy Boja. He's hers, even if he's like a feral stray."

Makoto glared over at said boy himself, and he grinned back at her, recognizing permission to properly court Miki if there ever was one. Giving her a thumbs-up, he jumped high and sidled over to the tan blonde, who only rolled her eyes and pushed him away as he leaned gently on her.

It had turned out to be an unnerving way to enter Ami's house through the front door for the first time, but Makoto admitted, it could have been worse.

"Ami-san! Just WHO in the seven hells are THESE three?"

A rasping voice that Makoto could only describe as grated poison on the tips of sharp claws screeching at chalkboard reached her ears, and she turned, only to be met with the eyes of Medusa herself.

She was lost in those cold icicles of piercing silver, and she now knew the feeling when someone described a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped down her shirt early in the morning when it was below freezing outside.

It was hella scary and frigid cold.

Ami's hand trailed over her arm, and the impending doom she felt retreated in the dark recesses of her mind. Hearing Miki growl behind her, Boja gasp in horror and whimper, and Shelona's dark mutter, Makoto nodded.

This was definitely Ami's aunt.

Yet somehow, as Ami's hand trailed down her own, curling into her palm and spreading her fingers to interlace with hers in an intimate hand cupping, Makoto didn't feel any apprehension at all.

Everything melted into the sky, and she smiled down at Ami, who smiled back.

"Obaa-san, this is Makoto Kino, my girlfriend. I'm deeply in love with her."

And the silence in the room was broken by the rasped gasp of disgust itself.

"Kino. Ah, yes. You were the ones who sabotaged the plane so that Mizuno Co. had to use its self-destruction method of crashing into the hardened plantation otherwise disguised as any other part of the ocean. Yes. Ami-san, you knew this, yet you still chose her. Why?"

Makoto heard the crack of thunder cracking outside, but it didn't drown out Ami's response.

"Because this is who I am."

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A/N: *GASP!* 0.o WOW, what happened here? I think I just made a complete turnabout as to where this is headed. ^^; But it makes so much more sense, for what I'm thinking in the future! 0.o Thanks for reading this far! ^^


	9. Given Truth For One Lie

A/N: 0.o Ami here will have a stab at telling the story, now, eh? ^^

DISCLAIMER: Coffee Prince and Sailor Moon are way more complex than this here simple story, which is why I'm glad ((so I can toy with the characters in fanfiction! ^^)) I don't own 'em! . Enjoy!

**Given Truth For One Lie**

Ami could practically hear her heart pulling against the straining bonds of her veins, feel the physical hurt she had known she would feel when Makoto heard what she'd always known when she'd taken the risk to hire her for her plan.

Staring into those cold eyes of her aunt, Ami cursed inside.

She should have known the woman would hit her right where it hurt, from the very beginning. And since she knew her so well, that meant the older Mizuno had something even stronger up her sleeves, then would finish the blow with something final and heartless.

Yes, that was the difference between her and her aunt.

Where Ami lacked the cold heart to do a thorough background check on people, her aunt did the exact opposite and went straight for the dirt. She swore, the woman was as cold-blooded as a snake. On a hunch, she'd looked up the zodiac for the snake and had found her aunt's birthday falling under the top categories.

Ami was glad she had taken the initiative to link hands with Makoto, and she squeezed them now, tightening her hold as thunder screamed its denial outside and the rain pelted furiously at the roof. Yes, she had known. Yes, she had found out. Yet it had been an accident, and probably somewhat of a fateful accident.

She'd been browsing the files for Mizuno Co. and had found a file under the 'secret' compartment and had chuckled quietly to herself as she easily passed the security systems and hacked into her own future business.

What she saw made her gasp.

Deaths.

Sabotages.

Illegal tradings.

And Ami had backed out of the files before rushing back and erasing all traces of signs that she'd been there, knowing that if the 'expert' hackers her aunt had hired detected her, then the firewall would probably step itself up a notch.

What she had seen was something she could change, but she needed to boot her aunt out of the family so she could gain complete control over what she had legally from her bloodline. The only problem was getting her aunt mad enough to slip up and confess her sins.

Right then, she'd come up with the most brilliant, if crazily-not-logical plan.

She would hire a victim from Mizuno Co.'s antics, and use them to help her stop her aunt from doing anything more. Ami had already hacked many accounts and had delayed or destroyed most of the big plans that would elliminate people's lives, but it wasn't enough.

Almost buried in self-hatred for what she would become in the inevitable future, Ami was practically dead to the world, trying to fly through her home 'schooling' and preventing the many crimes Mizuno Co. was commiting every day.

And then Usagi Tsukino had come.

Just a fleeting glimpse of golden locks in her dreams, and she'd turned in her sleep, wetting her bed with her newfound powers and almost flooding the house. Thankfully Artemis had been there and guided her through it, then staying with her as her new 'pet' after that.

It had become that much easier and that much harder after that.

Ami shook her head.

No time for reminiscing right now.

Stepping to stand in front of Makoto, Ami stared at her aunt and smiled. She had adapted to this new way of challenge from her equally-smart housemate and had learned to play the same game yet walk to her own beat.

"Yes, Obaa-san. But I've chosen her to be my partner in life, and if does not matter what is outside of the bedroom when we have all the time to talk of our past and what we know of each other, what we can learn."

The cold eyes in front of her gleam, and Ami could feel Makoto's hand gripping hers in a tight hold, the cold sweat clamping into her palms and the insistent pressure another hint, only to her, that Makoto is worried.

"She's just a common playtoy for you then, Ami-san? Because if she's more than that, you are more than willing to dip her in the blood that we are now immersed in? Yes, Ami-san. We can't back out now. Even if you show me this. . voluptious wench you pay to come at me with."

Ami smiled again, baring her teeth and standing her ground.

"She is much more to me than that, Obaa-san. And I don't care what you think, but I WILL hold out until I come of age and I will have full access to my inheritance as you've so much tampered with."

It had become more than just showing off Makoto as her girlfriend, she realized.

It had become a test, and with growing urgency, she realized that if her aunt was talking like this, then there was the slight chance she would slip up something with that foul tongue of hers and mess up.

And with witnesses, too.

Miki was leaning into Boja, shivering as she stared at the deadly interaction between girl and her surpressedly demonic aunt. The man was standing straight and supportive, curving his arms to support the newfound princess he had vowed himself to serve.

Serona was lounging, bored, against the nearby couch and popping a couple of cherries in her mouth. She was the only one who was used to this sight, and with her daring splashings of bright color contrasting brightly against the white walls, she was on fire most of the time.

With a free hand, Sherona twirled about the tap-lamp and hit it repeatedly, turning the flickering light on and off and driving the atmosphere into something softer than what it would be if it weren't for the swift changing of light.

Ami suddenly remembered she shouldn't push so hard in such small amount of time, and she had argued, discussed, and agreed with Artemis that things would have to look natural when the time came.

And so she turned her back, looking up into Makoto's dark eyes, the pupils wide in shock and anger, swirling with the lightning that flickered outside.

Senshi.

Ami knew Makoto had some kind of connection to the senshi, since she hung out with them a lot in their normal human forms, but also in their transformed state, like when they had come to knock her out the other night.

She would look into that later.

Hopefully, Makoto would introduce them to her.

Lifting her arms, she curled them around the broad shoulders of Makoto's dark shirt, pulling her paid employee close and running her hands under the soft curls ending above Makoto's hairline. Dipping her down, she gazed into those dark eyes, eyes she had grown to love in the short amount of time, and whispered, softly.

"I need a remedy, and your kisses are the best, Mako-chan."

Ami felt her aunt's dark spirit flicker behind her, dimly heard the uncontrolled steps forward, but she was already pulling her beauty down, running her fingers gently along the slope of unbroken nose, the fine chin, those full lips looking so tempting, and Ami pulled, softly.

"Blue. . ."

And her aunt could do nothing about it when she raised her head to the descending lips.

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Makoto sulked.

The stinging in her lips still hadn't gone away, and it had been a full four hours. After the. . 'kiss', Makoto had gasped as Ami grabbed her and called over to Miki and Boja, who scampered like waddling ducks after their one savior in the cold room.

At the very last second, Ami had produced something almost web-like from between her fingers and slapped it over Makoto's lips, giving her a featherlight peck before pressing into her and angling her lips so they sucked on her chin instead, then ripping the sticky substance away as she stepped back to whirl from the room and out of the house.

It had damn well hurt as good as it would have if Ami had bitten her. Yet without the pleasurable side effects.

Bursting out into the wet night had never felt so good.

Breathing in deeply, Makoto looked into Ami's eyes and found the smaller girl shivering, her breath coming in short, shallow pants as she curled in on herself in the sidewalk, clutching at her head.

"Blue? What's wrong, don't tell me you stood up your aunt and are only NOW regretting this? PLEASE, Blue, she deserved it, don't worry-"

"Mako-chan, I can't help it. You're so soft and large and inhumanely sweet that I- I. ."

Makoto glanced around frantically, signalling for Miki and Boja to go. They nodded, their faces turning a bit red, and melted into the night, probably to talk about their newfound freedom Makoto had let them get away with.

Kneeling next to her employer, Makoto took off the outer layer of her leather jacket she'd put on during the course of coming face-to-face with Ami's mom, and wrapped it loosely about Ami, who shuddered in relief.

"It's okay, Blue. Let it all out, I, uh, think it's great you're finding your money's worth."

Replaying the sentence in her mind, Makoto about clunked herself in the forehead. If she kept doing this too much to herself, she'd have an almost-concussion. Shaking her head, Makoto scooted closer to Ami and made sure she was sharing body heat.

Even though she knew Ami had withstood the coldest of ice on her own, right now, the girl needed a friend, and Makoto was the one she'd get.

"Let it out, Blue, don't pent it all in there."

Rubbing the trembling back underneath her hand, Makoto wrapped her free arm around Ami and hoped the smaller girl couldn't feel her own shaking under the nakedness of her clothes. It was a shame she'd have to return them the next day, she certainly wasn't going to use it for future parties or casual get-togethers.

Sighing lightly, Makoto didn't expect the punch coming to her gut.

"I mean it, Mako-chan. You're just so wonderful about everything, even if you're paid for all this, and with the death of your parents something I had been part of, or something I could have stopped if I'd have known- and now I'm going to expect you to be by my side tonight when all this has blown over."

Makoto had stopped breathing.

She tried to comprehend, really did, but, WHAT?

Ami- Ami was thinking THAT far ahead?

"And when you let me toy with your family like that, even if it was Sherona and not my aunt with her cold-as-ice-cubes demeanor, well, I think I found myself losing interest in this just being a deal between a passing person and a hiring girl. Mako-chan, I. . Will you be my partner when I bust my aunt's butt on the day I turn of age?"

The brunette had another slap coming.

_Geez, Makoto Kino, get your dirty mind out of the gutter! She only means business! And just WHEN, girl, WHEN, have you even considered yourself hopelessly, devotedly, awestruck and passion-induced by this GIRL?_

"B-Blue, I. . I would be glad to be your partner. So, how about we seal the deal this time?"

Ami looked up into her eyes, and Makoto swore her heart was going to hop right of her chest and burrow itself into the tissue of Ami's skin and be next to hers for the rest of eternity.

_That is just freakishly disturbing there, Thunder._

Makoto could just hear Rei's voice mocking her with her tone of dry hit-it-right-on-the-head voice. Moving closer to Ami, Makoto used the leverage she had to lower herself and slowly curled her fist into the lapels of her dark green blouse.

"Of course, before we continue, I'd like it if I told you this b-beforehand."

Inside, she cursed.

What was she doing?

Pulling the collar down to her neck, then further, to her chest, then further still, to her 'padded' breasts, Makoto eased down the soft material and gently tugged the shirt down, just enough for a peek.

That was all it would take, after all.

Behind them, under the protruding two inches of Ami's sparse balcony, they stood, breathing stopped as the rain drizzled to an abrupt halt.

"Ami. . I'm a girl."

What was said next was something Makoto wasn't expecting for a whole ten thousand of her lifetimes, if she lived that long and was reincarnated as a senshi over and over and over. Ami reached up and placed a hand right on her stomach, circling the firm abdomen muscles she had there and directing heat low about her center.

Blue eyes swirled their truth into hers, and Makoto's breath hitched.

"I know, Mako-chan. Now, let's seal this deal with a kiss, eh?"

And Ami leaned forwards and Makoto found herself grinning as she felt soft lips wet hers and tears mingled with the freedom of a lie given the key to opening a cage.

It was just starting, after all, and there would be many more lies to come.

A/N: Super short, but let's make it something we'll remember than jump into the x-rated scene I DON'T want happening in this fanfiction. ^^ Or at least, WA-A-AY later. . Hopefully, this'll tide you over somewhat 'til the next part.


	10. Burnt And Boiled Over

A/N: Shows you what a bad fanfiction writer I am- Shelona-chan turned into Sherona the last chapter! .; Uh-oh. Kudos to the people who saw. And awesome to the people who didn't. I'm having a field day finding mistakes I've made myself. ^^ *grins*

DISCLAIMER: Since I OBVIOUSLY can't keep their names right most of the time, I dub Boja, Miki, and She(l)rona all mine! The rest belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Coffee Prince, which I HAVE to get to watching sometime, if I can only tear myself away from the Tagalog dubbing of 'Down With Love', a taiwanese drama that is funny with Ella and the other guy in it. ^^

**Burnt And Boiled Over**

Artemis stared at the glistening orbs of the grinning senshi.

Backing up into Makoto's couch, the white cat whimpered, knowing he couldn't escape because his rump could go no further.

It had been two days after the incident of Ami's transformation, and all the senshi seemed to be ganging up on him, telling him to introduce them to Ami before the next youma could pop up and attack her into another blind depression.

Shaking his head, Artemis looked over at the blond racer and mewed, trying to appeal to Uranus' inner planet. Green eyes sparkled in glee, and Haruka turned her head, nudging Michiru in the side.

They both sat on Makoto's bed, and Artemis was afraid they would be jumping each other's bones in no time at all.

Glancing over to Setsuna, Artemis marveled at the Outer Senshi's abundant calm.

The green-haired woman was sipping her tea, occasionally popping a treat in her mouth as she glanced over at the Inner Senshi and grinned. Artemis blanched. Why hadn't they revealed their knowledge of who Ami Mizuno was when thet first started?

Because they hadn't, Makoto was now a curled-up ball of stunned shock in the corner, Rei and Minako coaxing her out of her bubble as Usagi advanced on him, using her status as future queen to force them an introduction to Ami.

Growling, Artemis jumped over Usagi's head and onto the open windowsill leading out of the lightning senshi's apartment. Turning, he regarded his companions and breathed in the warm scent of home, of ease, a haven of comfort.

"Make sure you're ready, then. The next battle, Ami WILL be there, and Sailor Jupiter will have to make an appearance while Makoto Kino is still in her sights."

And Artemis jumped out into the night of wild Tokyo.

Maybe Luna and Diana had saved a piece of tuna for him that Usagi usually set out.

He was mighty hungry, after all that confrontation going on in there.

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Makoto groaned as she heard the heavy knocking at her door.

Slamming her fist into the pillow under her head, Makoto growled and heaved herself out off the couch. It had been a hectic night, replaying Ami's unplanned confession in her mind, and she was sure she hadn't gotten over three hours of sleep after she'd remembered Miki had not come home.

While her sister didn't know of Makoto's actual claim to Sailor Jupiter, she knew about as much as Ami did: Miki thought her older sister was just a mere mortal best friend of the Inner Senshi, nothing more, nothing less.

And yet Makoto was as close to her as blood itself, even if her deepest secret from humankind couldn't be shared. When the pounding on the door increased, Makoto about screamed in anger.

She repressed the feeling.

"Coming, coming. . ."

Glancing at the clock on her counter table beside the kitchen, she was surprised to see it was five in the morning. On a Saturday. With no work, karate training, tutoring, or running chopsticks all over town.

Struggling to stay awake, Makoto stumbled to the door and wrenched it open.

"What? Oh, please, no, God, Miki. .!"

Makoto gasped as her sister came into view, leaving heavily on the doorframe. Her left eye was starting to swell, and the full of her skirt and blouse was ripped.

Boja stood behind her, and Makoto caught them both as they stumbled in, collapsing in her arms.

"Miki? Boja, wake up! Tell me, what happened?"

Brown eyes turned to hers, and Makoto saw Boja was worse off than her sister. His knuckles were extensively ripped and blood was flowing freely from some cuts on his neck and arms.

"Mako. . -neechan. Mi-chan. We were ambushed in the park. Don't tell her off- it was yesterday evening, and we had to hide out most of the time, since the rain was all acting crazy. W-We'll be good now, Mako. . -neechan."

The two forms in her arms slumped, and Makoto cursed at the dead weight.

She knew they must be unconscious, and for once she was glad.

Bleeding figures trying to be heroic and failing miserably just wasn't her thing. Especially if it was her sister and new boyfriend who had only recently started calling her 'Mako-neechan' to show his respect.

Laying Boja gently on the couch face-up, Makoto carried her sister to her bedroom and tucked her under the covers. Dirt and grime didn't matter now. Putting a couple of aspirin pills beside the lamp on her table, Makoto walked out and sat down in her favorite chair.

She needed to think.

Who had done this?

Her first thought were the suspicious acquaintances she knew Boja must have had on the streets, but instantly banished the thought. They guy had told her before he'd started dating Miki he'd let go of his past and was starting straight.

So, who?

*ring, ring*

Makoto bolted for the phone.

Anything to take her away for a moment, try to clear her head, gain more information.

"Mako-chan? This is Ami- I wanted to warn you, you should watch out for your sister and Boja! My aunt was starting to gather together some thugs hanging around the corner street to beat up your near-close relatives, just to run you off! Oh, Mako-chan, I know you already know I'm Sailor Mercury, even if I'm not a normal senshi- don't wait to call me until the last minute to help! We're partners now, remember?"

Makoto felt her stomach churn and curl at her new partner's voice over the phone, and she wondered how and why she wasn't screaming her head off in frustrated denial, in sadistic rage. Ami had been some part of her parent's deaths, she'd been the one to hire her knowing fully well who she was.

But she trusted her.

Something in those blue eyes called to her, and Makoto was lost.

So she replied, trying not to look over at Boja's prone form, hear her sister shuffling painfully in a small nightmare in her room. Everything was closing in on her, so Makoto drew a breath and concentrated on Ami.

It helped immensely.

"Blue, let me tell you. I will not hesitate to call my partner when I'm in danger. Yeah, your aunt's thugs got to Miki and Boja and did them good, but not so bad that they have to go to the hospital. I've got it all taken care of, so don't worry. I'll come over in a couple of hours, show myself off to OUR aunt so she knows I mean business."

Makoto paused, her face warming despite the cooling temperature of early morning.

"And Blue? Don't hesitate to call me if you're in danger too, okay? I'll be here for you. I just wanted you to know that, so you won't have to wonder."

Clearing her throat, Makoto took on conversing in a more normal state and got some more information on how heartless Ami's aunt was. Sherona, though, was doing good in bustling around and keeping life in the Mizuno household amidst all the subtle threats of poison.

After a while, though, Makoto got to thinking about what time it was and glanced at the clock.

"Hey, Blue, why were you up at five in the morning?"

A pause.

". . I had a dream."

Makoto waited, somehow knowing deep inside Ami had something else to add, to describe, and she needed to know, even if it took the rest of her life. Funny how it felt that way, and in such little time.

". . You were there, and you were calling to me, and somehow, something was wrong, you were trying to pull me out of a tree, its sap was holding me back, and I could hear my aunt laughing in the distance. I-It was really overwhelming, a-and. ."

Ami's voice broke, and Makoto was instantly on her feet and whispering for her to calm down, she was already there. Quick as lightning, Makoto had secured her doorway with a ball of electricity that would recognize any of the senshi and let them pass but discharge the enemy with a blast of hurt.

And she was off.

Ami seemed to need her, so she'd go.

A/N: These are getting shorter and shorter. ^^; Maybe sometime in the upcoming weekend it'll merge into something longer, but hey, I don't really like writing stories that are all threatening and hard to read. O-oh! Next chapter let's have Ami meet the senshi! ^^ ((Man, Ami's aunt is getting hardcore meany-head here.))


	11. Just To Show You I'm Not

A/N: HOKAY! Now for the so-called 'promise' of a lo-o-ng chapter shot. Hopefully I can get the character's names right and everything in order so there'll be something else to look forwards to when I get done. ^^;

DISCLAIMER: After all this time, I need to watch and read the actual products of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon and the episodes of Coffee Prince- which means I don't own them, I can just analyze them and play with whatever pops in my head. ,

**Just To Show You I'm Not**

"Mars Power, Make Up!"

"Venus Power, Make Up!"

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

The skies turned a dark blood red as the youma appeared, and the senshi called to their planets from their henshin sticks. Youma erupted from the dark portals of hell, and their various ugly hides bubbled with the new climate of Earth's temperature.

Trees became something evil and dark when a bark youma invested its soul in the hard woods, and the park's playground grew hectic and surreal as a youma drove into the ground, directing its broad forearm in an upwards arc to command the sawdust, turning it into sharply-flying projectiles.

"Sailor Venus! Take the evil one behind the fountain! Mars, there's a grass type in the woods! And Sailor Moon- hit that rockman with all you've got!"

Luna's voice whistled through the air, but while the black guardian cat got affirmative nods of determination, senshi sprinted off to the opposite directions, dodging roots and bark mingling with sawdust all the while.

"Senshi! What are you doing?"

The enraged yowl went unheard, and Luna sprang after them, ready to transform if need be.

"Don't worry about us, Luna-chan! We've got to learn to protect ourselves from our own weaknesses, so we're switching up now!"

Usagi's cheerful voice boomeranged her grunt of throwing the tiara and inflicting minor damage to the tree youma and its branches.

"Yeah! We can't have the new senshi think we're weak, when she defeated that bull all by herself!"

Minako winked, then backhanded the rockman hard across its ugly muzzle, flipping to aim her Venus Love Me Chains at the thick stumps standing for feet and jerking sharply to unbalance it.

"Thunder would want that too, so tell your mate we're ready, Luna-chan! Have him bring Sailor Mercury here, and introduce us!"

Rei fired furiously at the youma behind the fountain, concentrating on herding it into the broken water wheel before setting her flame to boil the sucker, grinning as the purple tint of its fish-like torso flushed a bright red.

Luna nodded, striking away hotly on four paws and giving a hard swipe of claw to the youma manifesting in the ground.

"Okay! I've already called them, are you ready?"

"Don't worry, Neko-chan, we've got to transformation pen right here- and we ALL know how I act like Makoto-chan, don't we?"

Sailor Uranus grinned down at the cat and sent a golden sphere of power along the ground, blasting the youma with her space sword strikes from the tree her and Sailor Neptune perched on as the other demon jumped out to evade the attack.

Receiving a small kiss from her love, Uranus turned back and smirked.

"Mercury!"

Instantly the air chilled in battle, and the icy temperature practically chilled the senshi to the core. Sailor Mercury stood before them, and blue eyes glittered dangerously to scan the youma for any hints of weaknesses behind a blue eye visor.

Makoto stood behind her, yelling as she pretended to be blown away, then deftly kicking herself a couple few extra feet into the bushes.

Uranus sprang.

"JUPITER SUPREME THUNDER!"

The electric disc flew through the air and crackled with energy as it gorged itself on the terrified youma prancing around, concealed in the wake of brittle roses and blood-red petals.

"M-Mako. . chan?"

To say Sailor Mercury was confused would have been an understatement.

Across the park, standing tall and strong, stood an electric version of Makoto Kino in senshi form, a long dark ponytail snaking around her back and secured to her right wrist, presumably to use as an extension of a whip. But a glance with her visor to the right showed Makoto Kino swaying to her feet and belting a youma in the face with a snarled growl.

"Thunder! Fry the skies- I want to try something out!"

Mars' command brought a familiar grin to those proud lips, and Mercruy watched as Jupiter raised her hands and directed a bolt into the sky, instantly gathering dark clouds into a one-of-a-kind senshi thunderstorm.

It was beautiful.

A miracle of nature, all right there in every battle as the senshi fought.

Mars yelled and fire speared into the heavens, consumed by the crackled energy of electric lightning and then spreading down to make a chain link of golden heart tinged with an eccentric orange, due to Venus' Love Me Chain.

With a centered cry, they all directed the power and force into one disc and sent it flying towards Sailor Moon, laughing slightly as their future queen gave a startled yelp and started running away, then merging her tiara to the mix to swipe the dark portal coming from the Negaverse into oblivion.

No more youma would be coming for a short while.

Somehow, their teamwork made something inside her ache, but Ami didn't have no more time to think about it. There were more youma concealed in the bushes and ground, in the skies, and they all had to get rid of them before they multiplied in rank and started feeding on Tokyo.

Showering a monkey-like youma with a horrid case of ice bubbles, she sprang over its cracking torso and landed next to human Makoto, smiling slightly as she saw her partner pick up a piece of brittle sawdust and hurl it at another youma, hitting it squarely on the head and knocking it unconscious.

Looking around, Ami scanned her visor for the outer senshi.

She knew there had to be at least two, since there were at least six souls on the radar before her and Makoto had come on the scene, so where were they? With every step in coming closer and transforming, the radar had detected the colors of bright auras, but she frowned when she only saw five senshi.

Five TRANSFORMED SENSHI.

Glancing back at the screen as she hit another youma full blast with an ice beam of sorts, Ami tried to comprehend the odd mix of coloring Makoto's aura had.

Whenever the other girl hit something or expended any sort of powered-at energy such as throwing a rock, her aura would flicker and intense gold would break through the pattern of lightning green.

Ami's eyes narrowed.

Scanning the lightning senshi across the park, the radar showed the exact same height and blood patterns, physical traits and identity. Ami blushed as she performed a small X-ray and then turned her attention back to the Makoto she'd come to the park with.

Everything was the same, if only for the difference between ponytail and aura flickerings.

Then Ami did an X-ray.

"Sailor Neptune! Behind you!"

Her concentration flickered as the lightning senshi's voice called out, and something inside her warmed as she realized the voice was the same husk of Makoto Kino's.

The senshi was a flurry of quick as Jupiter tackled Neptune, rolling her over as they barely evaded a sonic cry of rage from the downed youma's mate, and Jupiter blasted it as well, grimacing as the cry turned into one of happiness to join its beloved in death.

"Michiru. . ."

Ami heard the unrequited feelings for the elegant Sailor Neptune, now in Sailor Jupiter's arms. Somehow, something was wrong, something didn't feel right. . .

"Thunder! Sailor Venus!"

And the desperate cry of Sailor Mars shook the heavens as Ami turned and watched in horror as the rock monster slammed his fist into Sailor Venus, who tried to flip out of the way but ended up receiving a fatal blow to her right leg as a crater appeared underneath her.

The youma around her had abandoned all their other enemies and raced towards Sailor Venus in all manners, some limping, some flying and diving down to bomb her with all sorts of attacks.

Ami could see, out of the corner of her eye, Sailor Mars desperately trying to tear herself away from the tree youma who had somehow ran away from Usagi and was now holding Mars now, chuckling angrily into her ear.

"VENUS!"

Mars' mournful howl erupted as the youma advanced, and the fire senshi's head hung low. Ami had thought she had given up, but instead fire erupted from everywhere there was wood, and the air was suddenly full of fire: flames were licking at everything, and as Ami saw Mars' head raise, she swore her eyes were streaming tears.

It was too hot to see if it was just a trick of the light.

"VENUS!"

And the world started to burn.

00000000000000000000000000000

Makoto stared.

Neptune rolled out of her arms, and the thunder senshi scrambled to her feet, sending a lightning bolt into the crowd of youma gathering around Minako. It was too late. She knew there was nothing she could do, and out of the corner of her eye, Makoto could see Usagi running towards Sailor Venus, ripping her tiara from her forehead and boomeranging it towards the horde.

"VENUS!"

Rei's voice grated her very soul, and Makoto heard the pain coming from her friend's very being as she was withheld from Minako. Wrenching herself off the ground, Makoto rode the waves of Sailor Neptune's Deep Submerge, enforcing the attack with a lightning roar and flicker.

Suddenly, the wave under her evaporated, and Makoto fell to the ground, looking about wildly in confusion.

Sailor Mars was on fire!

Everything around her was incinerated, and Makoto could see rare tears on Rei's face as she directed her consuming attack at the horde of youma.

Ooh, boy.

Rei was losing it.

Running instead towards her clone counterpart, Makoto let her transformation fall from her and ran into the bushes. It was burning hot, and she felt as if she would melt from her bones, it was all-consuming fire.

Haruka had seen her, and she rolled into the bushes herself, transforming into Sailor Uranus and flying to Neptune's side, aiding her to her feet and throwing down an Earth Shaking attack to ward off the youma around Rei.

Rei herself was becoming more and more desperate as the rock man youma stood there, advancing and throwing increasingly stronger punches at Minako.

"Mako-chan. Sailor Mars won't mind if I aim a protection bubble at over Sailor Venus, right?"

Makoto ran out of the bushes and nodded at Ami. At the very last second she remembered she had her clip-on ponytail on and threw it over her shoulder to an advancing youma with its mouth open. The monster ate it and choked, hacking it up as a grossly disfigured hairball.

Ami nodded back and iced the youma before turning and drawing her hands together to spread a lot of small bubbles into a much larger bubble. Looking over at the downed senshi, Ami directed her hands outwards and spread the bubble outwards over Sailor Venus' torso, consuming the blonde in a protective sphere.

"Sailor Mars! Flame the rock-block!"

Ami's voice was a commanding snarl, and Makoto was surprised when her partner nodded in determination in Rei's direction, who was now a burning torch that was overly pissed at the boulder-head now raising its blocky leg up to squish Sailor Venus.

Minako now encased protectively in Sailor Mercury's icy bubble, Sailor Mars let loose.

"DIE, BLOCKHEAD!"

And Sailor Mars blasted the youma into smoldering little rocks.

"Minako!"

"Rei-chan! Is she all right?"

"Koneko-chan, don't move her yet- Setsuna will come here soon and she'll transport her to the hospital. We can't let an injury like this go with our senshi healing only."

"Rei-chan, you've gotten stronger. I could feel it inside your soul."

"Michiru-chan? I. . did?"

"Rei-chan, if you couldn't tell, you practically burned the whole park down!"

"Oh yeah? Well, Thunder, I can do that any day!"

"Not yesterday, you couldn't! Not like that!"

"Girls, stop. We've got to get Mina-chan to the hospital."

Ami looked back and forth between the senshi and Makoto, and she shook her head. They couldn't afford to waste time like this. Not letting her transformation drop, she lifted her hands and made the bubble encasing Minako rise.

"Listen, all of you. We can't just stand around here arguing. Sailor Venus here, or Minako-san, is badly hurt. By my calculations, her ribs should be crushed, and they're probably hitting her innards right now. Rather than wait for this Setsuna, let's get moving."

She felt the crackle in energy around her pause almost, like a rock in the midst of a flowing river. Ami didn't care. Even though she didn't know this girl, she knew she was badly hurt and while senshi healing would help, she still needed to get to the hospital.

"Hold her high, like that, please. We'll get there in time."

A ripple shuddered through her when a low voice sounded near her ear, and Ami didn't turn but did as she was told. Something inside her screamed that she'd met the ruler or guardian of time, Sailor Pluto, if her research was correct.

"I've got her."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ami saw the girl called Rei and Sailor Mars rush towards them, but with a simple tightening of her grip on Minako, Ami reassured the girl she would take care of the senshi in her bubble.

Fire flared in dark brown eyes, bordering on near purple, challenging her to never let any harm come to Minako, and Ami just let it flow past her and nodded.

She would take care of her.

And with a last breath, the woman named Setsuna ripped them away into the fabrics and streams of time.

A/N: ^^ . . . That was unexpected. At least for me. Yeah, I guess I did kind of plan this out, but just for Makoto and Ami's sake in showing Ami that Makoto 'couldn't' be Sailor Jupiter. . because she just couldn't. Minako's injury was kind of sudden. Hope I can type faster for you guys, . ! Yay!


	12. Because You're What You Are

A/N: Looking at the last chapter preview, I realize these chapters aren't really that long. ^^ Trust me, for me they are, but I enjoy writing these odd fanfictions. .

DISCLAIMER: Ooh, I can say Miki and Sherona are mine, completely mine ((meheheheh. .)), while Boja is that guy from Coffee Prince ((not mine either ^^;)) who always wants to fight the main character. Sailor Moon belongs to awesome Naoko Takeuchi. Yeah! ^^

**Because You're What You Are**

Makoto stumbled into her apartment and blearily landed on the couch.

Instantly her back hit rocks.

"OW! Boja! When I come home, I don't care if you're bleeding all over the upholstery, just get off it when I lay down!"

She knew she shouldn't have yelled at her sister's boyfriend. But she was tired as heck, and everything was beginning to blur. This was a first time any one of them had been mortally wounded during a fight, and everyone had stayed on the same power level for so long, it had been a shock when Rei had snapped and about burned down the whole forest.

It was as if her plate was going to break, there was so much going on.

Rolling over onto her stomach, Makoto buried her head under the pillow.

The fact that Ami didn't know she was Sailor Jupiter could only last for so long. Why she'd did it in the first place was a complete mystery. Why Haruka had stopped her from transforming the first time was a mystery, too.

They still hadn't told her why, and so she'd come to her own conclusion, at least for her own part. The fact that not one of the senshi except for Rei, who hadn't been there when it happened, didn't know why she had cut her ponytail was something that contributed to her present situation.

She'd chopped off her ponytail because she'd been weak.

She hadn't been able to protect her fellow senshi when they'd first needed it, DESPERATELY needed it. So she'd arrogantly asked Haruka to fill in for her for the first meeting, so she'd have more time to poke and prod and try to cure Ami's wounds as a human, as a person who was caring, who wouldn't judge.

She'd turned arrogant.

And with a new friendship on the line, it would only get worse if she slipped up.

". . . Mako-neechan?"

Grunting, Makoto moved her shoulders and flopped over to stare dully at Boja. The boy's eye was swolen over, but she could detect the steady glint of respect in the other eye when he spoke to her.

He knelt over by the kitchen table, hand on Miki's leg in a comforting touch. The two looked so cute together right then, Makoto almost laughed.

Supper was on the table.

"You know how to cook, Boja?"

At the boy's shake of head and Miki's embarrassed smile, Makoto's eyes narrowed. She was on her feet in an instant.

"Who's there? Miki, who did you let in?"

Her sister opened her mouth, but then stopped.

"Why? Did you do something to the door?"

The way Miki said it had Makoto inspecting the door knob, staring over at her curiously. Yes, Makoto had put a slight barrier of an electric ball around the knob, but then, anyone with a brain and a bit of power from darkness or light could shimmy it with force.

"Nothing I usually don't do. Miki, who cooked supper?"

"Don't get your pigtails all tied up in knots, sweetie, it was only me. I let myself in."

The lazy drawl was slow, sure.

Sherona appeared out of the shadows, and Makoto inwardly gasped.

To human eyes, the woman was in the same physical busty shape she was during that first meeting, but to Makoto's eyes, her inner planet and senshi being reeled in shock.

Youma.

Those bright red fingernails had turned into long crimson claws, and there was a knowing glint behind the green eyes, narrowed in a demonic smile. Red hair flowed past her shapely hips, whereas yesterday it had only came to her shoulders.

Yet something was different.

Something was certainly off about this woman, and Makoto warily sat at the kitchen table and muttered an apology to her sister and Boja, then turning to face Sherona as she would have if she hadn't seen what she currently looked at.

"I'm sorry, Sherona-chan, I just wasn't expecting anyone home when I came back."

Makoto took a deep breath. She didn't feel any bad intentions from this youma, and she knew she would instinctively know if Sherona meant them any harm. Heck, she even cooked them supper! So she told.

"You see, Miki and Boja were attacked by some people Ami's aunt hired, and I really didn't want them coming over here while I was gone. Even though I'm a karate instructor for little kids, this little brat hasn't really listened or taken lessons all that well."

It wasn't a lie.

Not really.

It just wasn't a full-blown spill-your-guts truth, either. Makoto didn't know where or whose side Sherona was on, and she wasn't going to give her plentiful information without her arm being twisted behind her back.

"Oh. Well, I just jimmied the lock a little and let myself in. Heck, sweetie, I even did a little laundry and applied that nice soap you've got stashed away in the cupboards!"

The wry smile pointed upwards towards knowing eyes, and Makoto raised her own eyes to direct a small challenge. It was the simplest of looks, but it would portray a whole lot of meaning.

"Boja, you and Miki are probably really edgy after being cooped up all day. I know you've got a bit of muscle in there, since I wrestled with you a bit, so you're good to go. Stick to the crowded places and be back by eight-thirty, okay? Miki's got some money stashed in her left sock, make her use it if you guys get hungry."

At her sister's surprised whine, Makoto turned in her seat and grinned, jerking her chin at the door and shooing them out.

"I'll pay you back when you come home, little sneak. Boja, please make sure she gets back here. Then I'LL walk YOU home."

Hearing the dead grunt of many acceptance, Makoto grinned and turned back to Sherona. The door closed with a gentle bang. Youma red met senshi green in an electric crackle of debating glares. After a thought, both asked, revealing their true natures in their sole forms.

"Who are you?"

"Setsuna, are you SURE we should let Makoto keep up the pretense of not being Sailor Jupiter?"

"Yes, Haruka. There is someone out there that will inevitably tell Ami's aunt who and what her niece is, and chaos will be unleashed."

"Haruka, we've got to trust Setsuna. She's told us all she can, and even Hotaru is acting pretty grim around ChibiUsa. I'm sure they know more, but it will be better if Makoto doesn't reveal she's Sailor Jupiter."

". . . Okay, Michiru. I DO trust you, Setsuna, it's just seeing Makoto-chan being so. . hurt, just like she was before when we first met her. ."

"Don't worry. She'll definitely come around."

She had just gotten back from the hospital.

Just gotten over the shock of actually transporting a fellow senshi there, another at her back, guiding her to the bathroom's sinks and rubbing her back as she practically barfed her guts up, not being able to handle the pain of seeing someone she didn't know almost dying rather than blasting a youma to pieces and not caring.

What it must be like for Sailor Mars back there, her eyes tearing up in rage and hate, the resounding echo haunting her that she hadn't been able to protect the one she'd been destined to be with.

But it wasn't that that bugged her now.

When she'd went back to check on Sailor V, the girl now in civilian mode, those baby blue eyes had looked her over and she'd smiled.

Smiled.

And said, her face being oh-so-gentle, nice even though she was hurting.

"Wow, Makoto sure netted herself a cute one. Don't worry about her, Ami-chan, she can more than handle her own. She's protected us more than once, and we all owe each other our lives when it all comes down to it. Thanks for helping me here."

Ami frowned, her attention turning back to Ryohizu, who was swimming on his back, his little green fins lazily fanning the water bubbles around him.

She didn't know why, but something was bothering her, and she was certain the green fish knew something she didn't. He wasn't a come-to-life robot for nothing. Ami knew Ryohizu had some footage inside of him that was the most precious, but due to the spirited life inside of him, she respected him enough to let him be in her fishtank.

"Ryo, come on, I need to know. Something's different about my aunt. She usually strikes at the HEART of the matter, and that would be, to my knowledge, Mako-chan. Why did she go after Miki and Boja when Mako-chan was right there?"

An emerald eye peered at her.

"To your knowledge, 'Mako-chan' is just a karate instructor. Karate instructors have a pretty good way to defend themselves."

Ami frowned even more. She wasn't satisfied, and until she'd solved this unbearable itch inside of her, an itch like a puzzle, then she'd be pacing across her blue carpet until there was a large hole in it.

"Ryo, there's more. I can feel it. That woman who's my aunt has not let anything like that stop her before."

The green fish nodded, then floated past the algae and kelp kept neatly inside. With a flick of his fin, Ryohizu twirled and grinned at her, somehow enabling the camcorder inside of him.

It wasn't creepy, just. . . unnerving.

Having a fish grin at you while taking your picture and video images.

"It's not like she's not normal, you know?"

Ami's mind reeled. What did Ryohizu mean, Mako-chan wasn't normal? Unless her connection to the senshi, but that didn't mean anything. Heck, she'd told Sherona when she'd first become one, and from then, Sherona had been recording any kind of information on what the senshi had been doing, taking footage of battles and their everyday life.

It helped since Sherona was a youma, too.

The busty 'maid' was the type of youma that had the 'key essentials' of stealing into people's minds and knowing what was there, what was lying in wait, what people truly desired.

She also had a great ability to pick locks, of any kind.

"Ryohizu, Mako-chan is as normal as they come, and you know that."

An innocent twirl in the water.

"I do? Maybe, but not the fire-head."

Ryohizu referred to Sherona as the firehead. Maybe because she was the one who had set the lab on fire when their creator had planned on getting rid of all his inventions when the chemical had been spilled, enabling Ryohizu his soul.

Ami sighed and flicked in a couple of nibbles, rewarding the robotic fluidity of Ryohizu and making sure he settled in correctly in the murky but clean waters of the fishtank. There was no need to be feeling this guilt, this doubt, this concern for a girl she knew who could take care of herself, but Ami found herself wondering how.

Even if Makoto was tall, dark and great at karate, so much a black belt was in store, was it really that safe for her? The reason that Ami was worrying, the very facts of the reason was. . .

Ami's aunt was a youma.

And Sherona was her aunt's half-sister.

While her mom was purely human.

Ami walked to the mirror in her sparse room and stared at herself. The dark depths of her blue eyes, only lightening when she was happy, darkening more so than ever going the other way, her nose straight and not broken ever in her life.

The mouth was something she'd gotten from her father, her mother had said.

A very gentle man with a genuinely good nature, one with the ponds and forests, and somewhat of an odd character, wielding a small pendant about his neck in a fashion similiar to the sword.

He was a prince from another dimension, another fairy tale.

And he had fallen in love with her mother, taken her as a bride, and was called away by the dark fairies who had been the bodyguards of his kingdom. As a prince, he had yet no power to over-rule his father's wishes to return and become the future king.

Yet someday, her mother had promised her, someday, he would return, and on that day, she would become a princess and find herself a mate.

But that day was to come.

Because in the mirror, her appearance had changed.

Her appearance was one of a senshi's.

"My half sister is a youma. Yes, Makoto-chan, Ami's aunt is a youma. And I'm one, too, as you can see. Ami also has a fish named Ryohizu that I rescued from the lab we had escaped from when Ryohizu's creator deemed it likely he'd rather blow the lab up than give himself over to the authorities. The only problem is, he's a robot, and that means there's a good chance Ami's aunt knows about him and has robbed his memory and card for a certain amount of time."

Makoto stared at Sherona.

She had come to terms that the fire-head youma in front of her was someone she could trust, someone she could turn to when she was in danger, but the things she was telling her right now made her want to cry.

It was too much, too many questions going unanswered, was it always going to be like this?

Minako was in the hospital; she couldn't help but not let Ami know she was Sailor Jupiter, especially if her aunt was going to pin something on her; Ami had yet had to be introduced properly to the senshi, and if the genius found out Makoto was Sailor Jupiter and reacted wrong, then their friendship and every connection would go down the drain.

But it wouldn't.

Ami would have to work with them while the youma got stronger, beat them and grow strong themselves, but with Makoto working there beside her, it would be utter hell.

Makoto closed her eyes and slammed her head against the kitchen table.

Except, last time the kitchen table wasn't so soft.

Looking up, the lightning senshi stared into red eyes, the orbs full and somehow slitted. The eyes of a youma. Yet the eyes of a companion.

"Don't hurt yourself right now, Makoto-chan. It won't help you any."

Somehow she managed to nod, and even though she knew it was common sense, took a deep breath of nice fresh air. It was so nice out that night, but now she knew something was outside, lurking out there, just waiting to pounce on them and any weaknesses they would possess.

So they would stick together.

Frowning, Makoto rose from the table, Sherona close behind.

"What are you going to do, Makoto-chan?"

Grabbing her cell phone, Makoto punched in Miki's number and told her to hurry home. Flipping the cover back and then to the front, where she slid the back off and extracted a couple of paper bills, laying them on the table, Makoto headed towards the door.

She grabbed her jacket, scribbling a short note on the pad and flicking it towards the table. Miki was a big girl, and Boja a big boy. Besides, if he did anything towards her sister, Makoto would know, and Boja knew she wouldn't mind wasting a couple hours of her life arranging a long, painful death for him.

Turning back to Sherona, Makoto flipped open her cell phone a hit speed dial.

"Hey, Blue? I'm coming over. I have something to tell you."

000000000000000000000

A/N: -.-; This is getting harder and harder to write. . . I need new ideas, so trust me, slow going for this one. BUT! I am going to finish this no matter what, 'cuz I'm starting to take pride in my work! *roar!* Hoped ya enjoyed anyhow, thanks for reading! ^^


	13. This Is ME, I'm Sorry I Lied

A/N: -.- Hmm, explaining qualities here, since I keep promising to clear things up. . ^^;

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon and Coffee Prince don't belong to me, but they sure keep me amused when I watch/read/listen to the characters. .

**This Is ME, I'm Sorry I Lied**

Ami sighed, her hand coming up to rest on the bridge of her nose.

She had only known Makoto, talked to her, propositioned her, for about a half a week ago but with one call on her conch phone and the sure voice over the line, Ami was lost. Hmph. Pathetic. Flopping onto her bed, Ami closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on anything familiar to draw her thoughts away from the ponytailed brunette.

Numbers.

Nope.

Not even that could shake her usually-intent concentration. Instead, Ami found herself picturing the similarities between Makoto and Sailor Jupiter. Somehow there had been something odd in the meeting of them, as she hadn't even been able to talk to the lightning senshi.

And the fact that Sailor Uranus, the one who'd she'd always tracked on her scanner appeared nowhere near Sailor Neptune in the battle until after Sailor Jupiter had saved the aquatic wielder from a pretty horrid attack.

Frowning, Ami turned to Ryohizu, only to find him darting across the small expanses of 'relay' routes she'd made out of tiny pieces of coral and new designs she'd been making out of ice and marble.

With the water being at somewhat colder than normal fish tanks, the ice would not melt and Ryohizu could get a better work out fighting his way through the thick water.

Ami sighed once more.

"Blue! Hey, Blue!"

Ice wielder bolted upright, wincing as her bed made an embarrassing squeak sound. Padding softly to her window, Ami studied Makoto before she let her in. There was an odd aura surrounding her, almost seemingly to cling in a protective way, and Ami bristled slightly when she recognized Sherona on her employee.

Makoto shifted on her feet as she hopped in, and blue eyes narrowed when the pony-tailed brunette headed straight for her fishtank. Ryohizu instantly stopped zooming around and stilled, becoming the harmless fish he was supposed to be.

But Makoto had already seen him.

". . Blue? I've got something to tell you. But before that, I'm going to come clear about a lot of other things. I know I should have told you before, when I was still in the clear, but I didn't, so I've got to tell you now, before it gets out of hand like in the movies where everything's oh-so-dramatic and full of fakes."

Turning, Makoto stood, her dark green gaze on Ami. She could feel her breath hitch inside as those broad shoulders slid down in a slump, and Ami almost stopped thinking when Makoto smiled at her, those emerald orbs glistening in something close to tears.

"You didn't hire me because you needed an actual girlfriend to pose as someone who you could use to break away from your aunt. Blue, you could have told me. I'm sorry I have to guess. Remember when I said I was not going to just do this and not ask questions? Well, I have one question to ask, Blue. Why?"

Ami stared at the girl before her.

Those eyes were piercing right through her soul, and she couldn't hold anything secret. Not from those eyes, not the ones which she'd wished she could look into without the slightest guilt.

It was time.

0000000000000000000000000

Makoto grimaced as she backed away from the aquarium.

How had she not realized the subtle ache in her bones from the last time she'd been in here? It was freezing cold, yet somehow she'd managed to ignore it for this long. Inside she knew better. Inside she knew Ami had been beside her, warding off the frigid loneliness she'd kept from them.

The thing that made her dark.

The thing that had made her dark, once.

It wasn't that long ago, since she clearly remembered what she'd been through. So she would force Ami to tell her what was wrong, or at least damn well try to drag her to Usagi and make sure her Princess would heal her senshi.

But Usagi wouldn't force her love on Ami.

Nor would she.

"Tell me, Blue. Please. No more secrets, because after this is over, I'm going to tell you mine."

Makoto knew it was childish, but she expected Ami to rouse herself and shout an indignant, 'You first!' Yet Ami didn't. Those iceburg blue eyes hardened, then shattered. Behind the soft facade of casual millionaire used to devotion from money-hungry people was a girl who just needed the soft comfort of a friend.

So Makoto went to her and pulled her in a warm hug, ignoring the biting cold and tugging her gently to the bed, where she sat down and shushed the shuddering girl.

Ami was shivering, her teeth chattering as she wound up to tell her story. Makoto knew it was coming soon, she had acted the very same when she'd had to let it all out to Rei. The miko was the first person to ever KNOW and force her way into having the lightning senshi reveal her dark past.

It was a sin Makoto was so glad she'd talked through.

And so would Ami, now.

"Shh, Blue, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you, tell me what's been bothering you. Just tell me, Blue. I won't laugh, I promise. Just let it all out, Ami. I'm here, Ami. Let me hear you."

Another shudder, and suddenly the air around them became a crisp howl as the oxygen was sucked out to make a thousand icicles. Icicles hung around every spare inch and centimeter, crowding the ceiling and suffocating the living.

Makoto clenched her fists and hoped her hold wasn't too tight on the smaller girl in her arms.

"C'mon, Ami, let it out. I'm listening, don't worry, just talk. That's all I want."

Ami let out a pained growl, but Makoto held on, staring over the blue head of curls and into the eyes of a green fish. Ryohizu smirked at her, his eyes glowing a fierce green, and Makoto could hear the soft clickings of camcorder and video recorder as the fish reacted to the inner equipment stored inside him.

She didn't care.

"Ami, Blue, listen to me. I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I was so pushy in knowing your reasons. Ami, hear me now. I-I lied to you. From the beginning. When I told you I didn't care, I-"

Ryohizu's lips smirked into a wide grin, and Makoto went on, ignoring the creepy algae flowing about his torso in a slick tornado of green seaweed and wrapping about him. The video was still running inside of him, but Makoto still didn't care.

Her grip tightened on Ami, her breath coming out in harsh pants as the cold invaded her throat, her nose, her lungs, her stomach, the inner recesses of her soul. Makoto let it all in, aware that if she wanted a partner, she had to trust her and communicate what she needed to her.

"Ami, yes, I lied. We- from the very first, since that time we went shopping, and Sailor Uranus jumped behind me. I was getting ready to transform. Ami, I'm Sailor Jupiter."

The air around them crackled, and Makoto realized the ice was spreading, spreading over her skin, the tops of her eyelids, into the small crevices under her shirt and around the room, freezing everything in sight.

It was so cold.

So frigid freezing.

But she'd told Ami.

She'd told her.

Makoto smiled down at the smaller girl and hugged her even tighter, enduring the bitter ice coccooning them in a tight hard ball of cold. The white stuff didn't even crackle. Makoto shook herself, and Ami in her hold.

"Ami, I know who Sherona is, really, and Ryohizu is not going to appreciate it if you freeze him inside of his aquarium. I know he's a robot, Ami, but he still has a soul- he's laughing at us, look. He's grinning like crazy over there, c'mon, Ami, snap out of it, you're my partner, if you'll accept me. That's right, let it thaw out, let it drip Ami."

Crooning softly down into the center of all the ice protruding into the air and room, Makoto nuzzled the soft skin and winced when she felt her clothes, brittle with ice, snap and fall to the floor. First her collar, then the sleeves, the actual cuffs and edges.

It was like she couldn't even roll her eyes anymore, she was afraid they might turn brittle and pop off like some kind of ancient recipe of lizards' eyes.

Inhaling deeply, Makoto whispered to her planet and felt the power surge through her.

Ami jumped in her hold, and Makoto held on, transforming into Sailor Jupiter and crackling with energy in the small expanse of Ami's rigid hold. Suddenly, something hot scorched her arms. Looking down, Makoto saw tears rolling off Ami's cheeks.

Reaching down to wipe them away, Makoto ignored the hot burn of boiled water, salty, and brushed the tears away. Ami sniffled once and slumped in her hold, exhaling as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in her arms.

Grimacing as the air crackled around her, Makoto lowered her head and wondered how in the world the room was going to dry off, it was dripping wet. Everything was dripping wet- wait. Looking closely, Makoto realized everything was hovering, almost.

"She's covered everything with water-proof material, Makoto-chan. Ami-chan here's a smart girl. She knew one day something like this would happen."

With a soft blink of red light, Sherona appeared. Makoto tried hard not to jump at the close proximity of the youma, even a comrade, but it was hard, that stealthy pressure tapping on the edges of her dangered conscious multiplied high since she was in her senshi state.

Finally nodding, Makoto got her muscles to relax.

It was pretty awkward, actually, to stay in one place while in senshi mode. The only time she'd ever really called on her planet was in fights, in summoning up inner power and support to calm the one-sided struggle of being herself among all the normal civilians.

Stretching her shoulders, Makoto eyed the green fish still staring at her, knowing full well the soul inside was watching her, closely, recording every word, breath, movement she let out. Turning slightly towards the aquarium, Makoto reached over to Ami's bedside and calmly unscrewed a small vial.

"Ryohizu-kun, eh? Well, you're pretty handsome there, Ryohizu. Here, have a. . 'nibble'?"

Tossing the small grains of brown specks mashed into fish nibblets into the aquarium, Makoto wondered at the sudden chuckle she got. It was much more friendly than the menacing stare she'd been receiving earlier.

"You're just like Ami-chan right there, girl. She's always giving me nibblets when she wants me to tell her something or I'm doing something good."

Makoto blinked.

Inside her, something coiled. Maternal instinct swelled inside her, and she let it out in a gentle tone, looking directly at the dark green fish, now making mad dashes around the tank and checking out the new water levels the thawing of ice had done.

"Ryohizu, if Blue here gives you nibblets, it's because you deserve it. Same with me. Or at least, that's why I gave you some."

"Yeah, well, you know what Hizu-chan? You might as well get no nibblets from me, if that's what we're supposed to give you them for."

Makoto almost snickered at the indignant backlash of hiss from the lashing robot, and Sherona's obvious teasings as the youma advanced on the tank and waggled her finger in the air to tut-tut the fish.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't want one from you, anyway! You can't judge character! And stop calling me '-chan'!"

"Hey, hey, if you could show me proof you're an actual guy, well, only then, Hizu-chan."

"! Oh, yeah? Well, you just couldn't handle it! 'Sides, you youma can't even touch my nibblets anyway, even if you DID beg to give me one."

"Like I'd beg-!"

"Wait, say that again?"

Makoto cut in on them, her green eyes flashing as she advanced on the bickering two. Their eyes widened as senshi descended on them, the air about her crackling in electricity and danger as Jupiter lashed out in agitation from confining herself to normal civilain tasks in her senshi form.

"I'd never beg to give him a treat, Makoto-chan, I'm telling you!"

Jupiter waved a hand and pointed at Ryohizu. With a gasp, the green fish was a dark blue streak and hiding under the rocks and conch Ami used as her private phone.

"Ryohizu-kun! What did you say? Youma can't touch your nibblets?"

Green eyes peered up in a positive nod.

"Yup. Sherona here, she can, 'cuz she's only HALF-youma. HALF the power, too."

"I CAN SO BE A FULL POWER YOUMA!"

Makoto winced as the red-head's roar shook the room, alighting a couple of doorknobs on fire. Dashing over to Ami as the girl started to moan, Makoto shushed her quietly and pulled her up into a soothing hug. Throwing a look to Sherona and Ryohizu, Makoto shushed them as well.

Blue eyes peered up at her in a daze, and it was amazing.

Ami's eyes were a lighter shade, not a brilliant sky blue, but it was definitely lighter than the usual dark lurkings of underwater cerulean she'd been used to in the past few days. It was as if a veil was lifted, even if there were a few splotches of dark in the beautiful orbs.

"Blue. . . Ami. ."

"Mako-chan, Sailor Jupiter. . ."

Makoto nodded. The room's temperature was rising, and she was sure Tokyo's sidewalks were getting a cold shower underneath the open window of Ami's bedroom. Shifting so she held the smaller girl a little bit looser, Makoto released the pent-up groan she had and transformed back into Makoto Kino.

Feeling her muscles release their always-tense pose, Makoto groaned again and rolled her shoulders. Turning back to Ami on the bed, she was amused the girl wasn't wet or anything. Just another day lounging around in the bedroom.

"Blue, Sherona and Ryohizu say that youma can't touch the nibblets Ryohizu has. Or at least, full-blooded youma. Has your aunt ever come near Ryohizu? If this is right, she can't since last time I checked, anything fishy emits a certain radiation. Actually, practically everything does."

Blue eyes narrowed in concentration.

". . . I really haven't seen her swim in lakes or the ocean, but that could only mean she's allergic to fish. But in Ryohizu's nibblets' case. . ."

Makoto jerked slightly as Ami stared up at her, her eyes flashing.

"Ryohizu's nibblets are different. And when Sherona had first brought Ryohizu here, she hasn't touched him or anything at all!"

A grin split her lips, and Makoto about shouted her joy.

The turning of a knob cut her off.

A/N: . Okay! So I'm GETTING there with the wierd explanations! ^^ 'Course, I'm still feeling around and trying to look if I can crowd anything else crazier than what I'm doing into this fic. ^^ Thanks for reading with me this far, ja! ((Til the next chapter. . .))


	14. The Past Isn't Going To Stay Buried

A/N: . I'm getting there, yes! I can feel the writer's insistent block lifting like some kind of hazy fog from my eyes. Muahahahaa! ^^

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon and Coffee Prince are awesome belongings and are true to themselves and their cool creators! ^^ I'm just using them for my amusement.

**The Past Isn't Going To Stay Buried: Move Ahead**

Makoto heard the creaking turning of a knob before she saw it. The gentle clicking of lock sliding back to welcome the intrusive tug to enter made her skin crawl, and she glanced around widely as time seemed to stop.

Everything was closing in on her, the wet room seemingly the churning dark waves of the ocean pulling her under, reminding her of the bad days, back when she'd been forbidden to see HER. . and those haunting green eyes that condemned her from recieving pleasure.

In the distance she faintly heard the calling of her name, tried to shake herself out of it.

She wasn't back there, she wasn't. Yet the more she tried to convince herself, Makoto found the past threatening to consume her, threatening to devour her whole. It had been so long ago, she wasn't responsible, she could explain. .!

And Makoto was thrown back into a nightmare.

A memory.

_"Kino-san? What the hell do you think you're doing? Get off, get out, I swear to the Gods, I'm going to kill you, you hear me? I don't ever want you to see my daughter again, I thought you were better than this! OUT!"_

_Makoto shuddered, her body reacting on frozen instinct. _

_She couldn't move, she was trapped inside, within the clenching folds of non-forgiving female, those eyes above her somehow turning into something poisonous, condemning her to dream every night of this horrid act. _

_"N-No. .! Kyoune, why, y-you. .!"_

_A growled snarl, and the girl under her ripped herself away, stumbling to her clumsy feet, those same feet that had hindered her all her life, all the time she'd known her, and those legs rippling strong from all her time discovering the joys of walking. _

_Makoto's head reeled. _

_She'd been bouncing around from schools all her life, forever hated by seemingly everyone, running on her own terms in the dark alleys, building herself up from all the beatings, and one day, she met Kyoune Hitoke._

_The girl who had changed everything for her. _

_With a soft voice that rasped whenever she sang or laughed, Kyoune was a redhead who had been born with disabled legs. Ever since she'd been able to draw breath, Kyoune had forever been strapped to a wheelchair, to sympathetic looks and hated whispers. _

_Makoto had instantly been taken in. _

_She was fifteen, and even though fresh from being left and used by Miki's parents and the stings of cold winds after nice warm family moments, Makoto was ready to look for happiness again. _

_It was her undoing. _

_Kyoune was now staring at her, those strong legs pumping rythmically as she dashed the close steps to her step-father, a dark grin underneath that oily beard. He had been a drunken bastard to Kyoune, and now her best friend was turning into her worst nightmare as she turned to him for protection, screaming Makoto's deliberate taking of her. . innocence._

_The walls were closing in, that obvious lie slapping her in the face. _

_Makoto felt her chest constrict, her heart shatter, and she ran out of the dingy house, the garbage neighborhood, feeling the hot tears pour out of her as she tried to forget. _

_She couldn't forget. _

_Kyoune had hurt her, had played her, anticipating the cruel blackmail, and when she'd found out Makoto had nothing except her kind heart and strong will, she'd turned and shamed her, forcing her into something she didn't want and blaming her for the act. _

_Makoto chopped her hair off that summer. _

_With Miki, she'd moved to the new school, again, the move uncountable among all the others. _

_But she'd met Usagi and had become a senshi, and when Rei had forced it out of her, Minako joking around and protecting her from the snobbish bullies lurking around the halls, Luna and the Outers always there to lend a shoulder and ear, Makoto had healed. _

_But it was still there. _

"Mako-chan."

Makoto knew she was not breathing, knew she was probably sweating like crazy and scaring the bejeezus out of whoever was around her. There was an angelic voice calling to her, she had to snap out of it, she had to, or all the years she'd spent alive would mean nothing, she had things to live for, she was a karate tutor, she'd be a partner for Andrew, a sister to Miki, a friend to Usagi, Rei, Minako. . .

Ami.

"MAKO-CHAN!"

The cold water drenching her flooded her soul, and Makoto jerked, crying out in surprise. Shaking her head like a dog would, the brunette broke surface of her nightmare and curled in on herself. Instantly she noticed the darkness around her, the heavy breathing, the sharp smell of terrified human.

"A-Ami-chan. . ."

"Shh, Mako-chan, I'm here."

And Makoto felt herself being drawn into a tight embrace, felt the warm hold of Ami rocking her, keeping the horrible shuddering from her body. It was stifling, she realized.

Before it was so cold, so cold, but now it was hot.

Too hot.

Pulling away, Makoto breathed in the cool air and for once was glad Ryohizu was splashing around from Ami's cup and back to his aquarium and vice-versa, sending small droplets of cold spray in the air.

". . . I'm sorry."

The sharp softess of Ami's voice had Makoto flinching, but only in a warm way.

"Don't you dare say that, Kino Makoto! You went through the most utter garbage out there and you're saying 'sorry'? That wheel-chair ANNOYANCE should be sorry, and if I ever get a hold o' her, she'll be needing more than a wheelchair to get around!"

Ami's angry words turned into a silent blush as she turned away quickly, getting up and slamming the door with a small 'bang!'. Hearing the tell-tale wood meeting frame, Makoto glanced up and scanned the room.

"Who entered?"

It reminded her of the pathetic shock-trap she'd placed on her own door. Well, technically it wasn't really her own strategic thing, since Miki was always whining about being shocked to death by the doorknob if it ever really came down to it, but Makoto knew if she fried someone with her lightning, then it would really cause havoc.

Just having that small dosage of electricity hanging out on her knob was something she couldn't really feel, so Makoto would have to rely on the shock being good enough to bug people off. It wouldn't be good if the landlord came and found a couple of french-fried mortals twitching at the foot of her door.

Ami appeared in front of her and plopped down on the bed.

"Artemis. He came back from TunaLand with Luna and Diana and looked pretty smug about himself, saying the restaurant was superb. I heard that those two got their vows renewed."

Makoto nodded, closing her eyes and leaning back against Ami's now-dry headboard.

"Ah, I'm glad for them. A-Ami-chan?"

The senshi of lightning could feel the smaller girl's questioning gaze on her, and she felt her lips curling up in a satisfied smile. Inside, Makoto slapped herself, instantly dragging the grin away. Too much expectance too soon was too much if the answer was no.

"Yes, Mako-chan?"

"Are we partners, now?"

There was a quick breath, but Makoto could feel it was good.

Opening an eye, she watched as Ryohizu flopped back into the aquarium and grinned at them, signalling he was filming this with a nonchalance only a smiling dark green fish would have. Makoto let out her barriers fall, and she could easily feel Sherona's presence tampering with something in the kitchen downstairs.

Only the cold presence of Ami's aunt was missing, but Makoto honestly didn't care about her now. What she cared about was sitting right by her side, emanating a bouncy aura of clean water-blue.

"Blue?"

Makoto looked at Ami then, smiled and rolled her wrist around the broken collar of her shirt, showing her cleavage. There was no need for teasing, because Ami smiled back and put her hand behind Makoto, ruffling in her back pocket and taking out the senshi communicator.

It was a rough design made out by a fashion maniac Minako, aided by Miki, but it worked nonetheless, acting as a good replication of personal messages and calls only for the senshi. Speaking of which, Makoto made a note to herself she should get the senshi of ice one.

"Mako-chan? Call me Ami."

Makoto cocked her head and grinned.

"Sure, Ami-chan."

"See? Told'ja they'd work it out."

"Stop grinning, Setsuna. I thought you were going to go and spy on the 'beautiful, most perfect blonde in the whole bubbly universe' right about now?"

"*blush* Go 'way, Haruka. I'm entitled to being correct. I AM the guardian of time."

"Yeah, and I'M the one who has to hear all the mushy stuff you whisper to yourself and the wind when you go and stare at Koneko-chan all the time. Geez, Setsuna, go and ask her already, you're just like the fireball. Tall, dark, and-"

"Now, now, Ruka-love, don't tease her. I didn't particularly like the little stunt she pulled with ChibiUsa and Hotaru. Normally our little Sets-chan here likes her privacy as we do OURS. No need in educating our children way before their time. Health teachers can do that."

"*smirk* Even when they raise their cute wittle hands and ask questions involving sexy little pairs and couples like you, Michiru?"

"Setsuna! Okay, woman, you win. Go on, strut your stuff out there. We're watching."

". . . Nope. I've changed my mind. Let's see how the Inner Senshi are doing, eh?"

"Wow, Sets-chan, I love it that you can carry the Gates of Time around with you now, in mirror form. Hmm, could you move that a little to the right, ah, that's better. . ."

". . . Someday, Michi, electronics are going to make a mockery of what communicators we have now."

"Mmm, just enjoy the present, love."

Usagi Tsukino laughed hysterically as she bounded over Minako's hospital bed, grasping the metal bands of the bed and rolling herself over to the IV stuck in Minako's twitching arm. With a happy smirk and suggestive eyebrow rolls, Usagi took the bag and started dancing with it, twirling about and dipping herself low.

Minako was enjoying the scene, laughing along as Rei dove at the bunny-blonde, growling fiercely when her swipe of arms came up empty. Snarling, the miko jumped over Minako's bed herself and smirked as she lowered her head, bracing herself above the suddenly-still patient.

"Meatball-head, you'd better stop right now or I'm gonna defile your precious li'l sister here."

Usagi froze like a deer caught in monster-truck head lights.

"Sh-Sh-She's, Minako-chan, sh-she's not my sister, Rei-chan, I-I. ."

"Put the IV bag back into its proper place, Meatball-head. We've got to get Mina-chan back to healthy as soon as possible. No telling when Thunder will be free to help us in fighting later on."

Rei's voice was calm, the fire underneath something only Usagi could hear, and Minako. The blonde in drab hospital garb was breathing slowly, forcing the air through her lungs as heavy as she could make them.

It was something for Rei Hino to lean over her and teach her something in math.

It was another for Rei Hino to lean over her and threaten her non-defilement to protect her well-being and health.

Minako closed her eyes and tried hard to breathe normally.

"Hey, Mina-chan, where's your communicator?"

Usagi popped in and plopped the communicator in Rei's hand, grinning as she noticed the hot connection between the two of her senshi. Prancing away, Usagi sighed softly and saluted her good-bye.

Aw, well.

It was just a crush, after all.

"Who're you gonna contact, Rei-chan? The Outers are probably sleeping by now, and Mako-chan's over at her place, taking care of Miki-chan and her new boyfriend. It's kinda funny how he's actually tamed her down, eh? Used to, it was non-stop boys! Now Mako-chan won't have any males hanging around to box up, eh, Minako-chan?"

Rei glanced over at the fast-talking bunny.

There was a crazy glint to her eyes, and her posture was oddly slumping. Sighing slightly herself, the miko pulled away from Minako and walked over to her princess. Pulling her up by the shoulders, she steered Usagi out into the hall and leaned her against the wall.

"Meatball-head."

Those blue eyes darkened.

"Usagi-chan."

They lightened slightly.

Rei nodded, tilting the girls' chin up slightly and looked her directly in the eyes. Usagi was trying hard to keep herself in check, she knew, but this was something that had to be done.

"Usagi-chan, I'm in love with Minako. I love being sparring partners with Makoto. But most of all, Usagi-chan, I'm loving having to deal with you, every day, because you're someone who I can rely on to not let me be overly demanding, overly stressed-out. You shaped me to what I am today, Usagi-chan. Please, Meatball-head, I still want you to be happy."

Rei let her voice fade, letting the fire she knew was inside her service the princess she was holding. Usagi nodded, her eyes serious but smiling as she realized all this was true. All of it. Everything.

Things would not change.

The miko sighed in relief and bent to hug her best friend.

Usagi hugged her back, hard, laughing as she wiggled around playfully and bounced, drawing Rei with her and then pulling back, her eyebrows wiggling in that familiar manner. Voice dropping conspiratorially low, Usagi whispered,

"So, Minako-chan really is that hot, huh? Remember that time when she slipped on the eggplant youma and you had to catch her? I swear, she slithered right out of her clothes!"

Rei blushed.

Trust her princess to bring up everything indecent.

But it was pure fun, and Rei was glad their friendship was cemented in confession.

"So, ladies, it seems your friend is doing better. She's a fast healer, and has quite a pleasing spirit about her! I'm sure she'll be out in two days!"

Rei turned to the nurse and smiled, then froze slightly.

Something was hauntingly cold about this woman, her dark blue locks lashed strickly about her in a short stub of ponytail, and the casual posture she held, her gloved hands in the pockets of her long white doctor's suit, spoke volumes of misled training.

Grey eyes bore into them, and Rei shivered inside.

Her planet warmed her to the core, heated her insides and never failed her, but this woman had something that iced over her soul, those orbs of dark grey unsettling as she smiled at them, her teeth straight and too perfect.

'Sailor Mercury. Oh, Kami-sama, she looks almost exactly like Ami-chan!'

Unconsciously, Rei edged in front of Usagi, drawing her princess behind her and faking her own smile. Minako was just beyond that door, and Rei had a feeling that if this woman went through, something bad was going to happen.

Cold emanated from this woman, making her short stature dominant in this small hallway, but Rei flared, Mars coming to life inside of her and vowing for the uncountable time she would protect Usagi and Minako.

Even if it cost her life.

"Oh! Flent, just WHAT are you doing here? Wow, are you dressing up as slip-in detective, again? I swear, you haven't changed."

A new voice floated over, and Rei wouldn't have looked if Usagi wasn't pulling on her shoulder so hard she thought it would rip it out of her socket. Turning to scold the blonde, Rei caught a glimpse of light blue hair and practically fainted.

Coming around the corner was an exact version of Ami, and if Rei hadn't heard Ami's voice before, she would never have known this woman was not the strong Sailor Mercury who had teleported with Sailor Pluto Minako to the hospital.

Light blue eyes sparkled at them, the healthy blue locks free of any bonds, the grin full and warm as the woman drew close. Rei's mouth opened in shock as the newcomer pulled the suspicious nurse in for a hug.

*TRING! TRING!*

Heck of a time for Minako's communicator to go off.

Usagi snatched it out of Rei's hand and held it behind the miko, flashing a quick picture of the two women embracing under her senshi's arm, concealing it nicely, and Rei dimly heard the hushed gasps of astonishment.

Well, no use in not thinking if Makoto had told Ami now.

Before Usagi turned off the communicator, she heard the blue-haired girl on the communicator whisper, excitedly, her voice high and joyous.

"Mako-chan! We've got to go to the hospital! It's my mom! She's back from Germany!"

A/N: Warning! Don't do to hospital water bags what Usagi was doing earlier! . 0.o A SURE BIG FAT NO-NO! ^^ Unless it's April Fool's. . . *snicker* I've got a disclaimer up, and I'm sure as heck not taking responsibility for the wierd antics Usagi-cosplayers are doing out there. ^^

Ahh, the niceties of coming-back-home parents. Maybe NOW something will clear up, eh? .


	15. Going Back

A/N: . Whoop! I'm finally over it, FINALLY, and now I'm gonna go on a crazy-blindfold rampage and bury myself in all kinds of different road-blocks that I'm gonna need help getting out from- but, that's me, and I have fun doing it. ^^ ((Nyeh, I think I'll change Ami's mom's name- I've been doing that for a lot of characters so far! ^^))

DISCLAIMER: Coffee Prince and Sailor Moon are obviously more understandable and easier to follow than this, so I know I don't own them or their awesome characters. .

**Going Back, When It Was Supposed To Be Resolved**

Ami bounced on the balls of her feet.

Literally.

Glancing over, the senshi of ice grinned as the wind carried her over the rooftops and safely on top of other buildings into the night of Tokyo, the city's party lights drowning out the stars above.

But it was okay.

Makoto was beside her, jumping from rooftop to rooftop in the guise of her senshi state, a wild grin on those dark features, her short hair curling to hug her nape and disappear and inch or two into the green collar of her uniform.

They were headed to the hospital, where her mom waited for her. It had been about two years since she'd seen her mom, and Ami was excited. From the quick snap of picture, Ami could tell her mom was doing fine.

In fact, she seemed to be the most alive and energetic than she'd ever seen her, if she excluded when she was six, before they had moved into the mansion and her mom had to go to work due to the fact she was a workoholic and it was the only thing that prevented her from following her father into the 'light paths of a forest-green world, his homeland'.

Feeling a twinge of displeasure at the mere remembering of her father's name, Ami shook her head and laughed inwardly as she almost got tangled in a clothesline popular among the culture of Japan.

"Blue, are you sure your mom won't be mad when we show up in our. . well, being partners or whatever?"

Makoto's tone hid the note of concern, but Ami picked up on it instantly, feeling the growing agitation building underneath the active lightning's exterior. Nodding, Ami caught Makoto's arm and slowly stopped, tugging Sailor Jupiter to a standstill.

There was a gentle breeze blowing that night, but it wasn't enough to make those green eyes narrow in a peer like that, the dark orbs seemingly lighter, if not all carefree. Tokyo came alive underneath them, the bustle of an early summer festival bright and drawing in happy spirits and a couple of light-souled youma amidst the growing crowd.

"Of course she'll accept us, Mako-chan. Or at least our explanation of why we're always going to be together. I mean, what normal mom would not like the fact you're helping me in sports and such while I'm helping you in math and school? I mean, perfect excuse."

Green eyes nodded, but there was still a hesitant pull.

"And your aunt?"

Ami reached into her senshi uniform's side pocket where her hip nestled comfortably and pulled out a bottle of Ryohizu's nibblets. Smiling, she jiggled them and popped the top off, taking one of the interesting little balls and showing off her aim as she flicked one at the end of a clothesline, the rope making a neat cut as it sank its way through.

Makoto snagged it before it fell and ruined the fresh laundry and handily zapped it with a small lightning bolt, scarring the tissue over with her thunder and making it stick with the bobby pin she kept in her hair from all the years of reflex.

"We'll just find out if this works. Mako-chan, my aunt is a youma. While she knows there are immediate benefits of telling my mom about all this and gaining the whole estate if she commits murder in our family, she's still not going to do that."

Seeing the dark eyebrows arch in a surprised manner, Ami grinned.

"Okay, fine, not that bad. Yet. But the reason I haven't handed her over to the police is this: if I can handle her fine and I'm a senshi, I'm certainly not going to cause a big ruckus in the human circles. A billionaire being thrown in prison gathers attention, and in the end, it wouldn't do anything. She's a youma who would escape and slip back into the game after hurting someone dear to me. And now. . . I've got plenty to protect."

Ami thanked the stars above and her planet the wind decided to blow right then. Even if it was a hot wind, mirroring the fire she felt in her stomach, it was enough to cool her flaming cheeks.

Risking a glance at Makoto, she was glad of the reciprocated warmth she saw out of those beautiful green eyes, the slow twinkle bright and reassuring. Turning, Ami pocketed the fish nibblets and took her partner's hand.

Without a word, they headed for the hospital.

"Flent, I swear, you're looking as young as ever!"

"Now, now, Hirome, I'm sure you're exaggerating, as usual. You look real good, too. Germany been treating you good?"

Rei and Usagi stared in amazement at the two women talking in front of them. Hospital or not, where miracles were born and conceived, this was almost too much. Seeing the almost-identical relations of Ami Mizuno was something one did not see everyday.

Eyes wide, Rei turned to the gaping Usagi and tugged on her arm. Putting a finger to her lips in an exaggerated movement to stay quiet, the miko pulled her best friend back into the room where Minako was laying.

Except she wasn't there.

". . Mina-chan? Mina-"

"Rei-chan, calm down- ahahaa! Minako-chan, don't go sneaking up on the awesome Sailor Moon if you want to keep your broken ribs together!"

The bed was made up and empty, but Usagi proved Rei right when their princess glomped onto the smirking blonde hiding behind the door. Her usually-smooth hair was ruffled at the crown, and Rei had the untamed urge to gently sweep the strands back into place.

With an inner growl Rei stamped down her desire and frowned. She had no right to feel this way, and especially not right now. Minako was in a fresh hurt and she needed to get out of here, if for caution's sake.

She had seen the red gleam in those dark blue eyes. It spoke of an unsated lust for blood, a lust she had had once back in the day before she'd transferred and met Usagi. Rei was sure all of them had had that bloodlust, once, and she also was certain that Ami's aunt would lash out at the nearest thing to her to hinder the overpowering feeling.

Shaking her head clear of her thoughts at the danger Ami's mom was probably in, Rei turned to her fellow senshi and was the exact voice of reason, keeping her usual fire at bay.

She had lots at stake here, a new love and a new teammate.

"Mina-chan, Usagi-chan. We've got to get out of here. I don't know exactly why, but let's stick to the old plan where we don't use hospitals anymore. I have a bad feeling about the woman outside- if what Thunder was telling us is not just Ami's problem, then I'm certain she's out to kill tonight."

Rei saw the blank looks she was recieving and grit her teeth.

Walking over to the hospital bed, she picked up Minako's clothes and tossed them to her, addressing Usagi as she did. Glancing out the window she saw it was already dark. Much to their advantage.

"Look, Usagi-chan, you've got to take Mina-chan out of here. Thunder and Ami-chan's coming, but I'm sure I can't hold off a whole crowd of nurses and doctors wanting to know where their precious bubbly blonde is who's now supposed to be slipping out the window and heading towards home."

"But Rei-chan, it would be easier to have Minako-chan stay here the night and heal-"

"Usagi-chan, look. Trust me on this. I've seen people act like this before, and not just youma. As a third in command and hopefully sane senshi, I'm telling you- that woman outside with Ami's mom is dangerous. I'm banking on it she won't try to hurt Ami's mom, but she's getting edgy out there. Listen to your instincts, guys. She's restless."

Rei looked both her friends in the eyes and growled.

Maybe she was being unfair.

Maybe she was wrong.

Rei Hino just wanted to be a hundred percent sure her friends were safe.

And they weren't in the hospital.

Finally it seemed Minako took a reasoning to her fears and shrugged into her shirt, then wiggled out of the drab hospital gown from underneath it. Turning, she slid on her skirt and was ready to go. Decked down with a hat and reading glasses, Minako Aino hardly looked like her normal self.

At least her wounds weren't showing.

"Usagi-chan, Rei-chan's right. We've been taking too many risks. I'm glad I've got the extra day in the hospital to sleep it off, but this is becoming too dangerous, even if there weren't any youma around. Besides, the feeling of love I've been sensing has kind of gone away, if that new presence in the hall's something to go off of. We need to get out of here."

Rei flashed her blonde partner a smile as she felt her face warm, then tugged the both of them to the hospital window. Luckily they were only on the third story up, and due to night falling and the busy flashing of Tokyo's lights, blinds were mandatory.

"Okay, you two. Hopefully you guys still remember how to climb out a window. Mina-chan, it doesn't hurt that bad, does it?"

Miko watched as the blonde twisted gingerly, turning her upper half to the right as she kept her lower half still and reversing the action. There was a slight stiffness, but in a couple of hours she'd be okay. Minako nodded and Rei ushered them to the window with a whispered word of 'careful'.

It was not a moment too soon.

"*GROOAR!*"

A pained howl tore through the hospital and the lights flickered, then died, coming back on from the back-up generators to reveal a long needle-like syringe youma sneering at her. Its aura was something poisonous, and Rei was certain its glass-like vial was hardened into some hellish manner to encase the poisonous liquid inside.

With a sneer of her own, she transformed.

There were no worries of it seeing her change into Sailor Mars.

She'd roast it into a charcoal black before it could advance.

"Ami-chan, what room number does Minako have?"

Makoto glanced over at her partner who was busy icing a youma that had popped up from underneath the main desk of the hospital's entrance and started attacking the senshi of ice. It was a bad move, since the youma already had a burn scar on its forehead and gave into the sacred relief of ice before realizing it was way past its need for a cool splash.

"Room thirteen, third floor!"

Nodding, Makoto zapped a glove youma and rolled her eyes when the attack bounced right off, the lightning going straight into the floor and charging up the walls and into the cieling, creating a brighter light to see by.

Sailor Mercury encased the latex youma in a bubble of concentrated ice and Jupiter rounded on it, using her elbow to backhand it across its stomach and face. With a crackled groan the youma disintegrated into a thousand ice cubes and shattered.

". . . Jupiter. . . this is awkward."

Makoto looked up at her partner and watched those blue eyes close, blink, then open and avert her gaze. Frowning, the brunette looked down and jumped, scrambling as quickly away from the defeated enemy as she could and crab-walking to the nearest exit leading up.

". . I-I. . Just thank the heavens none of the other senshi are here. I swear, they'd make a laughingstock out of all the youma, which is good, but on the other hand, might tick Sherona off. And I'm thinkin' a ticked-off Sherona is something I don't wanna handle right now. Let's go find your mom."

At the spot where Makoto was standing was a stretched-out condom, and on the tips of its head was a huge gaping hole where Sailor Jupiter had planted her melee attack. Grimacing, green eyes beckoned blue up and the two raced towards the third floor.

They had to find Ami's mom.

After the initial call where Rei and Usagi had picked up Minako's communicator, Ami had reminded Makoto that while it was great and all her mom was back from Germany, there was a slight chance that her aunt was not too pleased.

Scratch that.

She would be furious, especially since she was so close to gathering an army of youma and having them under her control was something of a well-thought-out plan. It involved a lot of money, and Makoto had gaped when Ami revealed to her well-known celebrities working under the older Mizuno.

Apparently half-youma like Sherona, the demons would answer the dark call of a certain high-ranking youma amidst all the hot bustle and laughter of the crowd, drawn by a certain aura that would make them bow down and submit their will to a higher power.

Yet being a senshi, Ami had put a small barrier up to let only the weak youma infiltrate into the Mizuno mansion, and never the higher-up demons of the Negaverse.

Makoto had a hunch Sherona and Ryohizu were part of the help, too, since the karate mentor could always sniff the undertone scent of Ryohizu's nibblets on Sherona's being. As a good cook, Makoto could detect any and every ingredient in her cooking, and someone else's, and it sure helped when it came to food poisoning.

Shaking her head, Sailor Jupiter proceeded up the steps.

More and more questions were popping up, and the senshi of lightning wondered if there would ever be a day where there would be peace and quiet once more in their hectic lives.

Not that it wasn't ever interesting, the things they got into.

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Ami glanced around the burning waiting room of the hospital in growing worry, her ice bubble expanding to let in the coughing Sailor Jupiter and scanning her partner for any obvious injuries.

There were none, but that didn't mean smoke inhalation was not a factor.

Doing a quick scan from her computer, Ami ensured her partner was alright and checked the surrounding area for any youma, half-alive or fully there and hiding. There were none, and it was a surprise and a nice break.

Something was wrong, though.

The hospital seemed near deserted, and it was almost as if the whole staff had known of the incoming youma invasion and had let all their patients out and went off to their own personal lives. Ami bristled at the startling revelation that this was a halucination when her scanner presented the new facts of a seal stamped on the side of an electric wheelchair.

Stomping over to the leather-covered seat, she ripped it off, instantly feeling the odd vibe of hospital disappearing and the more stronger undercurrent of old abandoned warehouse. How they had even gotten ensnared in this trap was beyond her, but it was already done.

Turning to Sailor Jupiter, Ami let out a stream of bubbles and rid the small room of all the smoke. The area cleared and she let out a small gasp. Around them were large tanks that seemed dwarfed by the close proximity, and in them were all kinds of life-forms.

Human, youma, half-breeds, dead garbage, everything ranging from forms of horror to deformed experiments floated in the bubbling chambers filled with an odd orange liquid. Ami stood, transfixed as she reached behind her to grab Makoto's hand.

"It's. . . not right. This. . isn't right. Jupiter, I. . This is where they kept Ryohizu, back when he was still trapped with that evil scientist, and-"

"Thunder? What's happening here?"

Ami turned to her right and saw Sailor Mars. Her fuku was covered in a slight sheen of bright blue, and when she looked over at Jupiter, hers was, too. There was a panicked look in Mars' eyes as she looked around her, and Ami was certain the miko was going to set the place on fire with her powers as she raised her left hand into a fist.

Jupiter pulled Ami over to her fellow senshi and laid a hand on the fire wielder's shoulder. There was a slight reddening of Jupiter's glove when her hand made contact, but the lightning senshi took no notice and pulled her sparring partner into a rough rattle of shoulder.

"Mars, stop. Look around you. It's an illusion. Can't you feel it? Search deep inside you, Mars. We're still in the hospital. You can hear the babies cry, can't you? Hear them, Mars. They're there. It's an illusion, all we have to do is wait, hope Minako and Usagi will bring us back."

Ami's eyes widened.

It was an illusion?

But what about the seal and barrier she had pulled off? Her computer had scanned it as something that was blocking something. Shaking off her fear, Ami walked over to the nearest vat containing a small youma that had a sinewy way about it.

Red eyes flickered and fought to open, the blue hair in stark contract to everything bright orange and liquid about it. Ami reached up a hand and gently touched the pulsing glass. She could feel the distress of the soul behind it, and with a start she realized those red eyes had opened and were looking directly at her.

_"Ami. . . You've grown, sweetie."_

With a gasp, Ami jerked away.

A knowing smile had twisted that hungry gaze, and she could swear something inside her churned in familiarity. No. It couldn't be. No! This was not it, this couldn't be happening, this had all happened before, and she hadn't been there. .!

"Sherona. .?"

And with a ragged cry, Ami pulled back and slammed her fist into the glass, her knuckles drawing blook the instant the orange liquid hit her and turning black as cracks appeared in the surface. She knew she made a mistake even as she drew breath to breathe in air.

Sherona burst free and erupted into her volutuous self even as Ami struggled to breathe, struggled to fight and not lose consciousness. It was a losing battle, she knew. Behind her she could hear Jupiter and Mars run to her, yell her name, but she was lost.

Darkness consumed her soul.

It was like she had gone back to step one, where she was all alone.

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A/N: HOKAY! Now for another wierd and wacky setting that has everyone losing their minds! ^^ Blame the book 'Hush, Hush' I've been reading for the past two days with only about how many pages left to read. There's another disclaimer automatically put up for me. . ((I'll explain how they got there in the next chapter, when it's uploaded.)) Suspenseful me, I know. ^^


	16. Coming To An Answer

A/N: . . . -.-; Now time to dig myself out of this one. . ^^; Oh, let me just say this- the only thing I borrowed from Coffee Prince is the 'employed for twisted sexuality so I can get out of the family business'. ^^ I honestly don't know how the real thing goes since I've only watched the first sixteen episodes.

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon and Coffee Prince ain't mine, since they're all totally sane and the plot is something you can follow with ease. .

**Coming To An Answer**

Makoto stared at the vials around her, her hand still on Rei's shoulder.

The miko was turning into a hot ball of flame under her, but the karate instructor knew her friend would never cause any unecessary damage if she could help it. She had known this was an illusion the very moment Ami had pulled the seal off of the electric wheelchair.

Makoto Kino wasn't a black belt for nothing.

Frowning, the brunette calmed her sparring partner down and dimly heard the shattering of compacted glass. A bright orange light flashed into her closed lids, but Makoto could already feel the major damage in the air, the potential danger of losing her partner.

"Mercury!"

Turning, Makoto scrambled over to the large broken vial, the orange smoke around her not helping her panicked breathing any. The protective bubble encasing her and Rei was split, and Makoto's mind raced.

Ami.

No, Ami!

How could she have been so stupid to not be there at both the ice wielder and Rei's side? Because of a simple mistake in judgement, her partner may be. . down for the count. Makoto pushed away the oncoming flashback she knew was about to happen in her panicked state and struggled to stay calm.

"Thunder! Snap out of it, THUNDER!"

There was something burning into her arm.

A hand.

Rei's hand.

Dark eyes swam into her vision, and Makoto fought it, trying to cling to the illusion of reality and not succumb to the pressure she felt building inside her head. She hadn't fainted in over two years, she wasn't going to start again, no matter the events around her.

Makoto knew her fist was moving through the air, even if it felt like it belonged to someone else and a million miles away. She had to pull herself together. Rei had done a good job the first time, Ami the second, she needed a shock to slap herself back in her body.

*THUMP!*

A fist connected solidly in her stomach and she grunted, doubling over. The pain was welcome, something real aside from the hazy details of her past, and she clung to it, desperate to get back and check where Ami was.

"*gasp!* I-I'm okay, Mars, where's Mercury?"

Glancing around, the brunette straightened and thanked her past self for chopping off her hair. A ponytail hanging to her skull right now would definitely enhance the thumping in her head, but for now she could ignore it.

Rei glanced her physical state over and deemed she was back with a sharp nod.

Pointing to the large bubble to their front, the miko knelt down and took hold of the ice senshi's limp hand. Running her thumb and then forefinger to the wrist, she took pulse and nodded again.

"Right here. She's good and alive, just out for the count. I think she was trying to get something out of the vial here and the impact or whatever that orange stuff was in it knocked her out. The gas probably weakens as soon as it comes out of the glass."

Makoto knelt beside Rei and pulled Ami over into her lap. Instantly the numbing in her mind lessened, and she was able to pull the smaller girl up and onto her torso, stubbornly keeping her from laying on the ground.

"Mars, what are we going to do? I don't like the fact that we're back in that lab where Ryohizu and Sherona was. From what Mercury had said, this lab was already destroyed. Do you think we've altered the past or something?"

Wide dark eyes gaped at her.

"What?"

Shrugging slightly, Makoto sighed and furrowed her brow. There was no use in sitting her, but with only garbage and hanyou around her, what could she do? Propping Ami up on her side by another large orange tank, she fished around in her pocket.

Coming up with a dead communicator, she groaned.

The only help that would come from the outside world would be a great shock to their body or Minako and Usagi kicking them awake. Looking over at Rei, Makoto couldn't help but snicker. The miko saw this and frowned.

"What?"

Raising her eyebrows up and down, she leaned in closer to the angry Mars.

"Wouldn't you just love it if you were woken up with a kiss instead of Minako kicking you awake from this? Come on, Rei, I know you've been thinking about this- since you're of shrinely duties, you know your outer self looks pretty peaceful."

A roar from the reddening lobster named Rei, and another large vial broken.

"Hey, quit it with the breaking glass already! I'm trying to leave without the crazy genius scientist figuring out whatever the heck is making that noise and stuffing me back into one of those things! IF you don't mind!"

A sharp voice snapped at them, and Makoto turned. There was something hauntingly familiar about the speech slurs and lazy curbings of rrr's that spoke to her.

"Sherona?"

Amidst the new orange mist stood Sherona in all her curvy glory, if only a bit skinnier. Familiar red eyes slanted down at them, and the throaty purr all but excused the bad state she was in. Rags covered her body, but it was decently enough, strangely.

Makoto knew it was hard finding clothes in a dark alley street, and probably more so in a liquid-encased vial. Even as she took in the half-youma's proud stance, Makoto noticed her hands curving in on something circular.

A fishbowl.

"Ryohizu-kun, is that you?"

Rei shifted beside her in confusion but Makoto stood, facing the dirty pair and gently walking over to pull the fishbowl from Sherona's hands. Too late did she remember she was back in the past, back where she didn't know these souls, back where the lab was supposed to be blown apart by an evil mad scientist.

"Who are you guys? I know li'l Ami-chan over there, but you, Lightning, I honestly don't think I do."

Makoto nodded, feeling an odd sense of heightened closeness around her.

That's why Sherona had called her Lightning the first time they'd met. She really did have a strength about her that sparked. Holding Ryohizu's fishbowl to eye-level, Makoto grimaced in sympathy. With his flashing green eyes, Ryohizu held himself with pride.

But the dark scales of rust and the limped way he held his right fin bade bad.

"We're friends of Ami-chan's. I'm Makoto, and that over there is Rei."

Makoto felt the surprised shock of Rei behind her and gently sent out a surge of calm flickering across the floor. The small shock hit Rei on the leg and she twitched, accepting the fact Sherona and Ryohizu were someone they could trust with their real identities.

Sherona shook out her mane of red hair and nodded back. Taking Ryohizu, she eyed their glowing forms of light blue. Gesturing to them, Sherona pointed out and asked the obvious, coming to her own conclusion.

"Hey, those are Ryohizu's nibletts! Let me guess- since you know me, you're from the future, since Ami-chan here's all grown up. I'm betting that dumb bimbo aunt of hers is still trying to figure out a way to bop them off so she can get their money, which is one way of saying she put me and Hizu-chan down here in the dumps with her dumb ex-boyfriend."

Makoto nodded dumbly.

Sherona continued on, undisturbed in the slightest, a grin lighting her face.

"So, if you know me and Hizu-chan, that means we escaped good! Sweet! Well, just for you sweeties, I'll let you out of here. Here, help me wipe off the stuff on Ami-chan, would'ja? You need to get rid of whatever brought you here in this flashback, which was probably this fish's nibletts."

"HEY! Half-strength, don't go on as if you know everything! I know you missed Ami-chan all over, don't act as if you haven't!"

"*snort* We can act all chummy later, Hizu-chan! I'm better at figuring stuff out than going head to head with that dumb bimbo's ex, so shut it and he won't find us! THEN in the future we can give Ami-chan a big fat hug!"

". . . Fine. Here, let me have a taste, would'ja? I haven't had nibletts in a long time. Dumb scientist figured out he couldn't touch us with my nibletts on us."

Makoto barely held in her grin. Busy wiping the blue coloring off of her and Ami and putting it on Sherona's arms and legs and Ryohizu's tank, she noted the familiar chiding of the two and decided to keep quiet.

Rei was busy scanning the surrounding area and making sure the 'evil scientist' wasn't popping up anywhere. With her fire abilities, the nibletts had gradually soaked into her skin. They had agreed on Makoto and Ami waking her up when they got back into the real world.

"Ami-chan. Ami-chan, wake up. C'mon, open those sweet blues for me, Ami-chan. Sherona and Ryohizu-kun are here, look, they're right here. These two have waited a long time to say hello, Ami-chan. Don't disappoint them."

Lightly slapping the ice senshi on the cheek, Makoto sighed in relief as her partner's eyes fluttered open, groaning slightly as the muscles in her body creaked in a stretch.

"Sher. . ona?"

She could hear the dazed disbelief in the tone and chuckled slightly. Pinching the smaller girl's cheeks, Makoto grinned down and wiggled her fingers in a waving manner.

"Yup, the one and only. Come on, we need to wake up and meet your mom, remember? She's probably at home right now, and she needs us to take care of her in that big bad mansion called your house."

Ami groaned once more and rolled over on to her side. Makoto smiled, a bit baffled. Ami, on of the types who liked to delay the inevitable? Wow. Sherona appeared at her side and smirked herself. Reaching out a hand, she snapped her fingers beside Ami's ear and the blue-eyed girl jumped up in full awakeness.

"Heh, she hasn't changed a bit, even in adult-hood. Hey, Lightning, take care of her, okay? I'm going to trust you with my cute wittle niece here, and whenever I see you again, even if you don't remember me, I'm going to swear this: Hizu-kun and me here, we'll be by her side when you come to her, got that? And you better not have changed."

Makoto nodded, the seriousness in those red eyes a familiar challenge. She had seen that same look in Ami's blue gaze frequently in the short time she'd known the smaller girl, and now she knew she'd gotten it from Sherona.

"I'll hold myself and you to that, Sherona. Ryohizu-kun, take care from Artemis, okay? He's a white angel, but he's still a cat."

The green fish nodded, then gave a rolling twirl in the water, oozing effortlessness.

"Will do. See you again, Makoto."

And the two senshi blinked out of the past as Sherona wiped away the last bits of nibletts from both their foreheads in an unspoken sealing of promise.

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"Rei-chan! Rei-chan, wake up!"

Ami broke surface the same time Makoto did, inhaling the clean scent of air with a desperate struggle of lungs. Shaking her head, the blue-haired girl turned towards the fire-wielder, seeing the familiar blonde curls of Minako Aino shaking the miko.

Her blue eyes were widened in panic and threatening to overflow into tears, but to her credit, she didn't cry. There was a fierce look about her and Ami knew right then Minako harbored feelings for Rei, which were mirrored by the miko.

Who burned down a whole forest just to lose control and protect her beloved.

Shifting, Ami turned towards Makoto and saw out of the corner of her eyes the senshi's princess, close behind Minako and her optimistic demeanor stripped away, revealing a lone spirit determined to be strong.

Yet when the blonde saw her gaze on her, those walls were back up, painted bubbly and strong again, yet a different kind, a supportive bridge for her friends. Ami nodded at the sheepish smile the girl gave her and grinned.

Nudging Makoto and feeling the closed nudge in return, she knew her electric partner already knew of the triangled boundaries involving the three. Ami inwardly wished them all the best and most of happiness.

Looking around, she noted the usual workings of staff and patients walking around the hall, ducking into rooms and delivering meals and the everyday doings of a hospital hard at work.

"I'm so glad my aunt didn't hurt anyone in the hospital. Everything seems to be normal."

Rei broke surface right then and gasped, her dark eyes flying open in a wild craze as she lurched forwards, right into Minako's shaking arms. Letting out a surprised squeak, the civilian Rei Hino drew a lot of curious stares from passing doctors and nurses.

Giving them an apologetic smile and a firm glare, Rei shrugged loose and murmured a shy 'Thanks', getting to her feet and openly shaking herself off, a dark blush stealing across her face as she paced across the small length of hall where they were before she'd urged Minako and Usagi out the window.

"Your aunt was definitely after Minako here, Ami-chan. I think she knows we were the only ones who could put a stop to her when she was visiting here, so she had her minions go after us first. The only thing was, why was she here in the first place?"

Ami frowned.

Why. .?

Then it hit her.

Turning to Makoto, she whispered, deadly cold.

"My mom. . ."

A/N: Okay, so they got out of that wierd flashback there. ^^ Now for the chasing down of Ami's aunt and her mom! And what the heck about her dad and Makoto's past? Hmm, I'm gonna have to put that in there somewhere! . Thanks for stickin' with me so far, guys, this's one crazy ride, eh? ^^


	17. Before We Do This

A/N: . . . ^^; I'll be truthful here. I honestly forgot what I wrote in this story! . That's bad, that's bad! But looking back, chabam! I've got it again, so please stick with me here and let's see if I can get this crazy thing rolling again! ^^

DISCLAIMER: Ryohizu, Sherona, Ami's Wierd Aunt Who I'm Not Really Sure How She's Evil But IS, and Boja, are MINE! Yay! ((Hmmm, oh, yeah, Miki's in there, too.)) Sailor Moon characters aren't mine, they belong to coolness Naoko Takeuchi. ^^ And Coffee Prince, I hardly know the plot. ^^

_"Your aunt was definitely after Minako here, Ami-chan. I think she knows we were the only ones who could put a stop to her when she was visiting here, so she had her minions go after us first. The only thing was, why was she here in the first place?"_

_Ami frowned._

_Why. .?_

_Then it hit her._

_Turning to Makoto, she whispered, deadly cold._

_"My mom. . ."_

_oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_

_**Before We Do This: Are You Sure?**_

"Mako-chan, are you sure you want to look at this?"

"Yes, Ami-chan. I need to look at this. Right now. . . Right now I don't have any reason to not like your aunt. Yes, she's done all these things, and she's hurt my family and Minako, but. . . I need proof, and reasons. I've seen her, but. . . I need to see this."

Ami turned in her chair to look over her shoulder at the fierce brunette. With her forest green eyes narrowed at the computer screen, her form bent over her right shoulder to balance naturally in waiting, Makoto Kino was one heck of a beautiful woman.

A beautiful senshi.

Her beautiful partner.

They had begged off a few moments away from the others, padding softly down the hospital halls and settling down back into Minako's room. The blonde had seen the look of determination in Makoto's eyes and had resumed looking after Rei, shackling Usagi in a bear hug and shaking her around.

Right now Makoto needed clearance to harm one of Ami's blood relatives, and she needed proof. Ami understood. Somehow, if she was in Makoto's position, she would have considered this, too.

"Here, Mako-chan. I've chipped away some of their files and altered the actual information inside to replace what I've got for the future plans, since it'll reduce the damage that way. Of course, you'll want to look at your parents' files. I. . I want you to know, I'll understand if you need time alone-"

"Don't leave me, Ami-chan. Please. I-I need someone here. . Just. ."

"I understand, Mako-chan. Here."

Turning back to the screen, Ami shut out everything.

She shut out all the problems they currently had, the hesitant way Makoto shuffled to look at the small computer screen. Using the senshi communicator to boost the screen into something 3D, Ami drew the chart around and wheeled it about into word style, her fingers hitting the familiar keys and jumping easily past the sorry excuse for a security system.

They had to hurry, after all.

*BEEP*

Ami raced over the words, those solid, perfect computer scribbles that showed no emotion. Only hard evidence. Only the cold logic of that tragic plane accident, all due to one woman's greed for power and cold cash.

Debt.

Lives.

Lost.

All her fault.

All because she hadn't been there in time, all because she hadn't known what was accessible to her, even back then. Just a certain key pecks away, everything lost because she had been afraid to stand up to that woman.

Her aunt.

That barraccuda had taken so much away, everything, had affected everyone, just for personal reasons that she couldn't even use, that she wouldn't use, just store it away as a few more million dollars, ruining the lives of many around her.

She hadn't cared.

At all.

Why?

Ami hung her head low, trying to block the hard ice ball forming inside of her. Regret. Hatred. No. This was wrong. She could feel hard tears welling up behind her eyes, feel the familiar clenching of betrayal at her heart.

No.

Stop.

She had to stop her. Had to. Or else everyone would die, she would be the cause, she hadn't tried hard enough, was this really the only way. .? Youma would take over the center of Tokyo, would then spread and attract other youma under rule of her aunt, and she'd be useless, useless. .!

"Ami-chan! Ami-chan, snap out of it! AMI-CHAN!"

Makoto.

Where was she. . .?

*BZZZZZTTT!*

"Ouch! Mako-chan? Wh-What is. .?"

Ami stared up into Makoto's electric green gaze, her mind reeling. What had happened, why? Looking around, she saw the dangerous cold blue of icicles hanging from the hospital walls, the ceilings, cracked ice slashing across the tile floor and burrowing its cold fist into the outside windows.

Makoto held her, one cheek bleeding as she drew her hand across to ruffle her hair, a small smile coming to her lips as she drew the ice wielder closer. It seemed she'd shocked her out of her icing the whole hospital.

"I could get used to this, you know. But, maybe we could keep it in your bedroom, since the hospital's not exactly water-proof. .?"

Ami stuttered, her shock apparent as she unconsciously burrowed into the warm embrace. What had she done? The slamming of bodies against the hospital door drew her back to the present, and Ami blinked as Rei and Minako burst through, roaring in a warrior-like manner and dragging a crying Usagi behind them.

"Thunder! You okay? Ami-chan, we can figure this out later, but right now we've got to GO!"

Fire flared as Rei transformed into Sailor Mars, her fuku flashing a bright red and evaporating all the ice completely. Turning to grab Minako and Usagi's hands, she nodded once and then jumped out the window, carrying the two just as two youma came crashing in the open door.

Ami automatically tensed as Makoto jumped off the bed and threw a small lightning bolt at the floor, somehow gathering all the dust in the room and making a smoke bomb as they catapulted out the window.

Seemingly, Ami's aunt had sent another horde of youma through the hospital and had created a good enough illusion to mask the damage of the building's structure from the outside world.

Landing smoothly, Makoto rolled, tucking Ami inside her arms and coming to her feet. Ami exhaled slowly, trying to come to her own bearings as she was overwhelmed almost by Makoto's scent. She had made maneuvers like this before, sure, but only on her own and never tucked into someone who cared for her, who she cared for.

The moment was short-lived when a fire-hot arrow speared by her face and around Makoto's shoulder into the broken window above, frying the enraged youma inside and turning them into a burnt crisp.

"Rei-chan! Next time you watch where you're aiming that thing, or I'm gonna really send you a present come next thunderstorm!"

Ami couldn't help but grin at the good-natured bark Makoto sent out at the smirking senshi of fire, and she pulled away gently and gave Sailor Mars a thumbs up. Looking back at the broken window above them, Ami turned to Makoto.

Searching those warm green eyes, Ami exhaled slowly.

"You ready for this, Mako-chan?"

A steady smile, and the hardening of aura as the sky above them crackled with unspent rain and sharp lightning. Makoto had seen what kind of evil person Ami's aunt was and she had no qualms now whatsoever of preventing her from doing anything bad like that again.

Makoto nodded back at Ami and closed her eyes, relaxing herself as she felt the first drops of water. Seemingly together, both called to their planets.

"Jupiter Power, Make Up!"

"Mercury Power, Make Up!"

Even through their transformation they were clearly aware of what the other was doing. Glances were met and held, and when ice blue met thunder green, both smiled.

"Let's go guys."

Setsuna Meioh stood at the the gates of time and contemplated her fellow senshi's situation. While the Inner Senshi hadn't called for their help, it was needed, but Haruka and Michiru would be there when the time came.

Yet it wouldn't be fighting power needed.

It would be restraining power, and the ultimate test of wills and sacrifice would be taken, right there, in the Mizuno mansion. Setsuna smiled, her eyes gentling as she watched the inner struggle of a certain moon princess.

There was something steaming inside, something almost so sweet no one would be able to handle it. Except for her. She would know. She SHOULD know. Setsuna smiled again and watched as those sparkling blue eyes twinkled at her senshi as she watched them grow, partnering and relying on each other to the best of her abilities.

"Don't worry Usagi. You're not alone."

Whispering her promise to the night sky above, Setsuna closed her eyes and blinked out of existence, back into the planes of earth and into the home of her fellow outer senshi.

She would tell them to rest before the actual fight, when they would be needed.

Yet even before then, she would watch over them, still.

A/N: . . . WOW! ^^ An update, and this time, more stalling on my part. Sorry for the REEEAALLY long delay, I'll try to make the next one longer and more in coming. . Thanks for sticking with me here, I'm going to re-read all of this to make sure I wrap it up in the end and stuff. ^^ Ja!


	18. Are We FINALLY Ready?

A/N: . . . *grr!* FIGHTING SPIRIT! Okay! I've been dreaming about this, so I may as well get my fingers in moving to finish- or at least move this puppy to a rollin' tailwag! ^^ Thanks for sticking with me this long, I've gotta refresh my memory by reading my own fic again. ^^

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is awesomely not mine but belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. Hmm, after all-a these 'disclaimers', I think I can type it up in three seconds, two minimum. XD Good practice. *grin*

_**Are We FINALLY Ready?: Doubt It**_

Makoto Kino stared up suspiciously at the big mansion in front of her.

A cold marble white with flawless hints of paint centered around the shadows for glowing effects, its overbearing size was something they would have to think about once they infiltrated it. Racking her brain and thinking back to the events at the hospital, Makoto wasn't even sure if the thing was in its real form.

Apparently Ami's aunt could alter the range of planes and actual space coverage, and with her niece's mom in her clutches, the cold woman would stop at nothing to wound or kill any who stepped in her domain.

Surveying the whole waterfront around the house and the not-so-subtle growth of bushes encasing the whole yard and garden, Makoto wondered at the whole planning of where and what was to be used. Taking hint at the short ledges, the water surrounding the place like a moat would be a great escape route, but Rei could evaporate the thing with a flick of her wrist.

Brambles and bushes would hide a person, and multiple youma, for only so long. Sensing something missing, Makoto looked up at the sky. Thick clouds covered the moon, parting only to let a small shining slit through, and she glanced over at their Princess.

Usagi.

. . .

Eh?

WHERE WAS SHE?

". . . Hey guys? Just a small heads-up here, but. . . WHERE THE HECK IS USAGI-CHAN?"

Makoto stared back in disbelief at her fellow senshi and all but growled. Thunder crackled overhead and lightning flickered a discreet warning as she let her irritation bristle. Come to think of it, after all of them had escaped from the hospital, their Princess had snuck off, claiming to meet them over at Ami's after recruiting the Outers.

Wait. . .

"Aww, c'mon, Thunder! DON'T tell me you forgot Usagi-chan doesn't know her way out of a bakery if it was empty and the door was a centimeter away! She's never been here at Ami-chan's before, I'll bet my good miko robes on that."

Makoto groaned, coloring as she slammed the upper portion of her fist to her forehead. Of course. That's why the hyper odango-buns wasn't here. Looking back up at the sky, she grimly smiled.

The Outers.

Something had been brewing within the outer planets, she could feel it.

That distant scent of secrets kept from her, hidden, was something she hadn't sensed in a long time, not among her close friends or anything but. Makoto closed her eyes, exhaling. No need to be all riled up at a time like this.

There was something more at stake, something much more. . .

Now was not the time to attack.

"*growl* We really should go over to Setsuna-chan's to check if she's there. That's my best hunch, since she's pretty much clueless as to where we are right now and is asking Setsuna-chan that."

Makoto saw her fellow senshi's eyes flash as the thunder rumbled overhead.

Even away, their Princess had the power to summon them.

"Sets-chaaaaaan, I don'-no where they are, and- and, *sniffle* I forgot to ask the-e-e-em!"

Setsuna Meioh secretly grinned to herself as she heard the thunder roar outside and the instinctive shriek of her Princess outside the Outer's mansion. Opening the door before the blonde could knock, the Time Guardian was pleasantly surprised when Usagi glomped her, a drumroll of thunder announcing lightning's arrival outside.

Hesitantly placing a comforting arm at Usagi's back, Setsuna gently reached around and closed the large oak door, making sure her home was in well-protected stability before drawing Usagi away from her and pulling her gently to the living room.

The dark-haired woman was amused at the wide-eyed investigation Usagi tried doing, acting her best to be casual as she looked underneath the placemats under the vase of roses and up high in the rafters with practically every step the blue-eyed beauty took.

"Ah, so Koneko-chan's here, eh, Setsuna?"

"Ara, Usagi-chan, good evening. I'm glad you made it here in time, it's about to rain."

"Waaaaaaah, Haruka-chan, Michiru-chan, I got loooooost! But- But since I didn't know where to go in the first place, then that means I wasn't lost, right?"

Setsuna took the time of Usagi's floundering and gave in to the urge to plop her head atop her Princess and wrap her arms around those energeticly soft shoulders. Peering between the blonde's odango-buns, Setsuna grinned at the knowing winks Haruka and Michiru shot at her and only grinned harder as Usagi instantly stopped, her back frigidly still.

When all was quiet except for the heavy breathing of a wiggling Usagi and the hard patter of rain atop their roof, Setsuna spoke, drawing Usagi back and feeling her favorite chair with the back of her calfs. Sitting down, the Time Guardian drew her Princess down into her lap and sighed contentedly at the blessed warmth.

"Now. I've got your attention, thankfully, and I have some information to share with you. I would very much appreciate it if you'd get the cookies I left by the door, Haruka?"

At the questioning but rabid gaze Haruka sent her way, Setsuna just smiled. Because there were two favors done, and all was in her favor. Haruka got up from her comfortable perch on the sofa's arm beside Michiru and practically ran to the hall to get her cookies.

With a giggle, Michiru pointed delicately at Setsuna, then over at a peeping Haruka's amazed look around the corner. Green eyes were wide in shock and disbelief.

Yes, Haruka Teno'h was the fastest racer around, she was the wind, she was the speed of light herself and close to just practically teleporting, she was so wickedly fast. But there was one thing that could beat her.

And that was Usagi Tsukino after cookies.

The fact that Usagi hadn't even moved from her awkward perch on top of Setsuna's lap and was now only relaxing into the gentle embrace was something of a wordly miracle. Time Guardian just sighed and pulled a little, and her Princess was there in her arms, content and protected.

"Usagi-chan!"

Until four choruses of surprised "Usagi-chan's" were sounded and Usagi became the rigid steel post once again in Setsuna's lap, her face a pure red tomato's, steam coming out of her ears as the odango-bunned blonde clutched at her lap desperately.

All the Inner Senshi appeared in the hall wearing looks just as incredulous as Haruka's, once they saw the racer chomping addictively into a cookie and their Princess not moving an inch to beg a crumb off the delicious goodie.

The world was coming to an end.

"I am honestly stating the world is going to end this morning, at 12:00! Priestess or not, Usagi-chan has got my vote for that!"

"Waaaah, no, Rei! But we just- *blush* We just. Yeah. Anyway. .! Usagi-chan! Take the cookie, girl, the world is NOT going to end on you not begging off an oversized bite! Setsuna-chan, let 'er go and she'll eat the cookie and the world won't- Whoa. Wait a MINUTE!"

Setsuna stared over innocently at Minako and Rei, and their mirrored expressions of surprised understanding. Grinning a bit, she shook her head slightly and leaned forwards a bit to sniff at Usagi's precious scent before letting her Princess go to 'nibble at the cookie that would cause world's ending'.

Heh.

These girls were so cute.

And as for Makoto and Ami, the two adorable kids that they were. . .

"NOW that I've got your attention, here's what you need to know to infiltrate the Mizuno household and get back Ami-chan's aunt. Hota-chan!"

With a silent glide to her, Hotaru Tomoe appeared behind her papa with a grin and walked into the carpeted living room, holding a rolled-up paper and ChibiUsa's hand. The pink-haired girl behind the Senshi of Death bounced happily with every step and squeezed her taller best friend.

"We got there before you but had to keep quiet, 'cuz we mapped out the whole thing and found out where Ami-chan's aunt here had her mom and Miki held captive-"

"WHAT!"

Makoto appeared beside the younger senshi in a flash of lightning, her green eyes blazing dark in worry and anger. The Senshi of Lightning seemed to be an actual bolt of lightning and roar of thunder right then and there, and just as scary and dangerous.

Hotaru calmly stepped in front of ChibiUsa and took on a firm stance, her dark eyes deadly but practical in her protecting her best friend. Makoto grit her teeth and lowered her head, her hand tightening into a fist and her breathing heavy.

"Fine. Go on, I'm sorry for the outburst. I'm not the only one who has a person at stake. The faster we hear this, the faster we can save them."

Hotaru nodded and gently put a comforting hand on Makoto's fist. With a whoosh of breath the ponytailed-brunnete let her hand go limp and nodded. Now walking to the well-smoothed tea table in the center of the living room, Hotaru and ChibiUsa laid out the map and pointed things out.

After a moment, Diana bounded in, in her mouth a small white grocery bag full of. . . Ryohizu's nibblets. While ChibiUsa accepted the bag and handed a small pouch to each of the senshi, explaining it was to use it for a self-defense mechanism against Ami's full-youma aunt, Hotaru went on.

"Okay. Here, this is where all of you will go in, at Sherona-chan's bedroom door at the very bottom near the pool. Even though there's a lot of water covering Sherona-chan's bedroom window, you can all get in with a quick spell of hers."

"She helped get us in that way, too, and she'll be out for the next hours during the infiltration to sidetrack most of the riff-raff youma patrolling around. They're pretty dumb, anyway, all muscle-heavy brutes that can be won over with a small patting on the head! Me and Taru-chan, we tried!"

". . . ChibiUsa, you're my daughter, please don't do that if you can help it. I'm only going to let you do it once more, so you can teach me and we can bonk 'em after!"

Usagi's serious face broke the tension mounting in the room at the mention of all ChibiUsa and Hotaru had gone through, along with the help of Sherona, and everyone felt relieved at the strained laugh they gave.

"Don't worry, Usagi-chan, I'll look after ChibiUsa."

Setsuna watched as her daughter looked into her Princess' eyes and drew a silent pact with the future queen, ensuring her side by ChibiUsa in the future as her protector and best friend. With a small smile, the dark-haired Time Guardian moved to the front of the table and took up the plan.

"After all of you get into Sherona-chan's room after, you will have to go in pairs to split off in the three main hallways. I'm going to have to insist on Usagi and Chibi-chan sticking together with Hota-chan so they'll have more directions and extra force on their side. With these side hallways here, Haruka, Michiru, and I can defend the openings and make sure all of you don't have to watch your back. Is this okay so far?"

Watching the Inners nod and the younger children, Setsuna smiled. They could pull this off without a hitch, crossing out any enemies and going forward to face the real opponents. Now if only they were sure about one thing. . .

Moving back to the map, Setsuna had all of them crowd around and look at where she was pointing.

"Here there's multiple traps set. That's the reason the three main corriders underneath the outer eye's knowledge, except for a mighty imaginative mansion designer, meet up. Hota-chan and ChibiUsa had Sherona test out a few of these traps, but I'm sure Ami's aunt had them updated and possibly even replaced with new ones. So, be careful."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, HOLD IT!"

Everyone looked up to see Sailor V striking a pose of an 'X' over her face, much like Ami's attack of bubbles. Minako whipped off her sparkly glasses and leaned a hand on her hip, pointing up an index finger with her other.

"How do we know the good guys from the bad? I mean, c'mon, am I the ONLY one who doesn't know whether I should whack this guy or that?"

Immediately Ami got out her computer and her senshi communicator given to her earlier in the day. Gesturing for all the senshi to take theirs out, the Senshi of Ice ran her nimble fingers over the keyboard and the communicators glowed different colors, all belonging to their personal elements.

Drawing back, Ami smiled, pleased.

"There. Now, Minako-chan, you can FEEL which youma to whack and not, instead of wondering if you're hurting our side or not. These new communicators are personal to all of us, so I just customized them to send you a small 'sizzle' feeling of your element if you're close to friends. If all you get is nada, then, give 'em a swing!"

Minako looked down at her communicator and grinned over at an equally-grinning Ami. Blonde sidled over to a flushing miko and ran her hand over Rei's arm. When the two of their communicators connected at the wrist, both shivered, flushing hot as they looked at each other in wonder.

". . . You feel so good, Rei."

"I can't believe you're this hot."

Everyone was a bit hot after that small incident. Makoto quickly jumped in between the two and jerked their hands apart, flushing. When her own communicator sent a small thrill of lightning up her arm, she sighed.

"Well, I guess it's not this bad, there's not much of a shock, really- YELP! HEY!"

Makoto flailed around and glared at the grinning kit of a furball named Minako. As Rei flickered into her vision and bumped her playfully back into the ice senshi, Makoto yelped again.

Lightning coursed through her whole body and centered in on her chest and somehow spirited through her soul to flow outwards and down her arm to meet with that simple but meaningful touch of Ami Mizuno's shockingly erotic ice. Makoto felt as if she was being fried alive, Ami was so close to her, she was feeling everything her partner was in that moment-

"Mako-chan!"

And then Ami had yanked herself away, her blue eyes turning a frosty ice blue as she eyed Makoto like the brunette was a piece of delicious meat after a whole week of not eating. Makoto jerked under that look, felt herself blushing like crazy. Just what kind of innocent communicator did that?

The senshi of lightning finally made up her mind.

"A-Ami. . ."

Oh Kami-sama, her voice was all hoarse and husked out, like she'd been thinking downright naughty things when she wasn't supposed to, but she WAS, and Makoto felt like whining in all her self-dependent glorified life.

Ami was so cute.

But this depended on the safety of both their families, so she had to get this straight. Glancing guiltily at the Outers and Usagi with ChibiUsa and Diana, Makoto begged off a few private minutes and pulled her fellow senshi over to the side.

"Ami, I'm sorry, I would love to partner with you through the corridor, but since Setsuna-chan's absolutely POSITIVE those corridors aren't too dangerous, compared to the main connected ones, I-"

Makoto blinked as Ami flew into her like a puppy into its long-lost bone. That same electrical shock coursed through her, but she saw both their communicators being flung away by Ami onto the nearby sofa, and the feeling seemed to intensify as the snuggling continued.

When her ice-bubbled partner pulled away, Makoto groaned in loneliness, but smiled when those blue eyes grinned at her.

"I need to partner up with Minako-chan."

Makoto felt a pang of jealousy, but tamped it down firmly with the feeling of relief. Ami was especially precious to her, she understood, she knew what Makoto needed to stay alive. . . and what she needed when she was gone.

Nodding, Makoto turned to Minako and questioned the blonde, the determined fire in Rei's eyes reflecting her own.

"I think it's a good idea. Because, Makoto, if I was trapped in that long corridor the way we're going to be, Rei next to me would give me a tan in the dark, more than I'd need, she's so hot. I thought I'd melt, she felt so-"

"Minako, please. I'd love to tell you what I got from you and what I felt for you the first time- but right now, Miki and Ami's mom is in danger and we need to think here. I can't think if I'm with you. But yes, it's a good idea, because if Ami and I paired off- I meant in fighting, Thunder, don't electrocute me- well, our elements would probably negate each other if we bounced them off the knuckle-head youma. So, yes, I'm good."

Makoto nodded, then went to pick up her communicator. Tossing Ami hers, the pony-tailed brunette shivered at the thrill coursing through her. Smiling over at the smaller blue-haired girl, Makoto nodded.

"I guess that's settled. Let's hear what else Setsuna-chan has to say."

0000000000000000000000000

Setsuna-"chan", in fact, had nothing to say.

The Time Guardian was currently in the kitchen with Usagi the Queen herself, making a batch-load of cookies and trying to keep the odango-bunned rabbit away from the mix long enough to get a decent brown on the things in the oven.

So Haruka and Michiru took over, smirking a bit at the oh-so-obvious non-pairings tried and restarted the plan, occasionally giving small glances to the kitchen. Hotaru and ChibiUsa were sneaking around the vents upstairs that would let them look into the kitchen and snap a few shots of Setsuna in an apron with handprints of flour all over her. Diana had curled up into a ball between the newly-arrived Artemis and Luna.

There were really no other questions to ask.

The plan was to sneak in, break the captives out, deal Ami's aunt her due and hand her over to the Negaverse back in full adios, spare her if they could help it, and get out of there, pronto, seeing as there were youma that would use the illusion technique on them and innocent bystanders.

By that time Setsuna and Usagi had come out of the kitchen, humongously adorable blushes on their faces due to major bumpings in communicators, and Hotaru and ChibiUsa came bounding down the banister.

Artemis and Luna vowed they would keep an eye out for youma around the infiltrated mansion and contact any of the handy senshi around. If not, they would transform and take action themselves.

The plan was set, everything was ready.

For real this time.

As all of them started for the door, the hallway that would only admit two-people side-by-side passage practically shocked all of them with their elements and senseless.

What a way to start a fight.

A/N: Yes, I've been puttin' this off wa-a-a-a-a-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too lo-o-ong! XD But now there's no more to make clear. No more to explain ((except Ami's dad thing-y, but then, only with the now reminder, I'm sure that'll only not happen in the future. ^^ I'm so irresponsible. ;d)) and hopefully, it's all goin' good. Heh, wierd how I know this will end but tryin' to flesh it out. Thank you so much for reading, so much for giving me the time of day, night, morning, and for-neverland, oh yeah! ^^ Now, what about that promise about the house blowing up? Hmm, maybe I should get to that in the next chapter. . . XD Thanks, take care, ja!


	19. Infiltration

A/N: *grin* Y'know, I've kept putting this off too long, so long that I want to thank you guys for obviously waiting ((or waiting, forgetting, and being pleasantly surprised into a coma. XD Keep safe, people!)) THIS long. ^^; I really appreciate the feedback and now am doing the whole 'sending out many thanks' move right now! Chachingaling! XD

PS: *eyebrow-twitch* I'm going to be doing a lot of explanations and re-runs of what's happening, for my sake and probably yours, but hopefully it'll be okay to read. Not too boring, not too. . ^^ 'normal'. XD I'm determined to work on this for the next day, so I'm sure I can get the whole START of battle going. Also, I re-read the last chapter and there was some information that was just thrown in. Hopefully you guys didn't catch it, but if ya did- sharp eyes! XD

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon isn't mine, it's Naoko Takeuchi's, who's a really awesome mangaka that can draw such fragile but strong characters and bring them to life with the touch of her pen. ^^

_**Infiltration: Really, Really**_

"Hime-chan, I don't want you to take any risks, okay? If you find yourself in any trouble, anything at all, just call Haruka-papa and we'll be there for you, got it? I don't care if I have to make an earthquake to get you guys out safe, just try to get in, get Ami-chan's mom, and get out, got it?"

Under the light of the full moon Hotaru and ChibiUsa saluted a shap pose and nodded towards their guardians. Hands clasped together the two looked adorably serious and Makoto watched as the Senshi of the Wind smiled down proudly at the two, the tall woman's hand lovingly holding her own partner's. Shaking her head Makoto glanced over at Ami, huddled by the side of the mansion under the cover of shadows and neatly-trimmed bushes, tapping on her portable laptop and scanning the place that they were going to infiltrate.

Get in.

Get the innocents.

And get out.

Makoto shut her eyes tight and shook her head, trying to dispel that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew it was coming, knew it like she did her own body and because of that she didn't want it to be here, now, nooo. . .!

_"__Get off, get out, I swear to the Gods, I'm going to kill you, you hear me? I don't ever want you to see my daughter again, I thought you were better than this! OUT!"_

_There it was again; that condemning voice, that bastard's drunken slurring towards her touching his step-daughter. It wasn't even that that hurt, not that. It had been the betrayal of Kyoune, her best friend, the one who'd made her want, the one who'd made her thought she was needed. . . _

_"N-No. . .! Kyoune, why, y-you. . .!"_

_Dark brown eyes glared at her from across the dirty room, the room that Makoto had once gone nuts over after her first night spent over at Kyoune's house. There were clothes on the floor, Makoto realized dimly, and the brunette wondered why that simple fact got even more vivid in the times she remembered. _

_"Mako-chan. You're horrible, Mako-chan. Why? Why did you do it- I- I trusted you. ."_

_Reeling back on the bed, Makoto looked down, down at the hands which had been given permission and lust and love to touch Kyoune, to tell her that she loved her, and now HE was mocking her, making her realize it hadn't been HER that Kyoune had loved, but the HELP she'd given to the girl when she'd had nothing, no one. . . _

_"You're wrong, Kyoune."_

_Those dark eyes speared into her, and for a minute Makoto saw the shock and fear when Makoto rose from the bed, still wearing her pants but shirtless and sad. Shaking her head, Makoto slowly grabbed her clothes and straightened, looking straight at the girl she'd thought she'd loved, quivering in fear in her step-father's hold. _

_"You're wrong. You may have trusted me, but you gave me too much, and now you blame me for it. I asked, and I held myself back, and it's been so hard, too long, and now you say this? Kyoune, don't misunderstand. I did love you. But you lied."_

_Even as Makoto felt her heart breaking, shattering for the third time in her life, the first and second foremost her parents and their death, she'd left. _

_Left into the summer night's rain, letting the tears fall as the sad rumble of thunder mingled with her broken spirit, its deep crackle splitting the sky as lightning slashed across the clouds and mirrored her sorrow. _

_It had hurt. _

_And there was nothing she could do. . ._

"Ohohohohooo, wait a minute, ChibiUsa. You two are going with ME! Which is why I ENSURE their safety, Haruka-chan! Besides, with Hotaru-chan here, we'll be a-ok-fiiiiine. Right, guys?"

Jerking about to the present as a crazy Usagi bounded over the exterior of the Mizuno's lawn, Makoto found blue eyes staring at her from across the side of the building. Ami was watching her, tensed, and brunette felt a sharp stabbing pain in her hand. Raising it to look, Makoto wasn't surprised as a small cut from a mini icicle healed. Looking over at her partner, brunette shook her head once and smiled, sheepishly.

Yes, it had hurt, but then this wasn't the time to relive her past. Thankfully Ami was there to notice and help her, and by the look of things the Outers had noticed the event as well, muscles bunched and ready to help her if it was necessary. Ashamedly, Makoto realized she'd never told any of the other senshi about her problem. After this, that was going to change.

Shaking her head, Makoto went over to Ami and gently hugged her, enjoying the slight feel of coolness burning inside her as their Senshi communicators zapped and crackled. Pulling away, Makoto nodded her thanks and looked towards Usagi and Rei as Ami concentrated on her scanning of the hidden traps, a full-blown blush taking over the blue-haired senshi's features.

Usagi's form twitched in the bushes as Rei's hand clapped over their Princess' mouth and Makoto bit back a smile and a sigh. Carefully slinking over to the two, brunette nodded at Minako as the blonde tapped on the window near the pool where Sherona's room was, looking for the red-head to gain entry. Setsuna's knowing red eyes nodded consent as Makoto brushed past the older woman, and Makoto grinned over at the Senshi of Time.

For this mission, there had to be rules.

And with rules came responsibility.

"Meatball-head, we've got to keep quiet here, this is NOT an amusement park where we can all scream our lungs out! For the sake of us all, zip it or find something else to do!"

Makoto winced as her fiery sparring partner gave the blunt reasons to a flailing Usagi and shook her head as she anticipated the wailing cry. None came, though. Stepping aside a bit as Setsuna went past, Makoto watched as the dark-haired woman knelt next to their Princess and whispered something in her ear. With a nod and grin, Usagi got to her feet, and Makoto was struck by how much the two women looked together.

Dark clashing with light, Time with Innocence. . .

"Minako-chan! I hereby give up my rights to lead for one night and you get to be in charge of this mission! Yet for the sake of my originality in doing a really good war move in changing leaders, I demand I be excused from your orders!"

All the senshi chuckled as Usagi snapped a salute and hurried over to Hotaru and ChibiUsa, eyes twinkling as she pulled Setsuna behind her, hands together. The taller woman smiled over at her housemate's amused looks, and Setsuna pulled Usagi close, murmuring to keep near the building so they wouldn't be caught. Minako drew up to her full height and smiled over at Usagi. Waving them all into a group, the Senshi of Love looked serious as now first-in-command.

"There's only one order that I'm going to give, and that's to stay alive tonight, folks! I don't want to be worried about any one of you, so I'm also telling you to stick with your partners. If you don't have one, choose now! When you get to where we're headed, which is Ami-chan's mom, call us on our communicators and we'll try to get there as fast as we can. That goes double for you, Usagi-chan. Hotaru-chan, ChibiUsa-chan, please make sure of that! Haruka-chan, Michiru-chan, Setsuna-chan- please watch over us and make your own choices."

All the senshi nodded as Minako gave them free reign, except for Usagi, her blonde odangos bouncing as she bit back an enraged yowl.

"Minako-chaaaaan! Have you been taking lessons from Rei-chan? I feel like a meatball-head!"

Smiling despite herself, Minako shook her head and turned as the window she'd been tapping on for the last five minutes opened, revealing Sherona's grinning face. The youma's red hair had been tied back in an elaborate french braid and Makoto felt herself nodding at the choice even as she fingered her own dark locks. It was for the sake of battle, keeping anything that hindered her sight out of her eyes, and Sherona looked good doing so. Starting as Minako beckoned her over, Makoto waved and instead headed over to Ami, her partner's blue eyes narrowed in determination as she neared the window Sherona stood at. Blue fuku floated on top of the pool's water, and Makoto had to wonder at her partner's abilities including the blue liquid.

"Ami-chan."

Blue eyes widened a bit as the smaller girl turned, and Makoto gently drew her partner into her arms. Nuzzling into the soft hair, Makoto sighed once and closed her eyes, squeezing tighter still. Ami was a warm ball of senshi, but the taller brunette knew how much attacks from youma could hurt, would hurt, if any of them weren't careful and they got hurt.

"Promise me."

Whispering into the fresh-scented hair Makoto softly held Ami, smiling a bit as the smaller girl nodded and whispered the same into her collarbone. Looking down into those familiar blue eyes the Senshi of Lightning and Thunder breathed in and out deeply, wondering if this would be the last time she'd see Ami.

No.

She wouldn't let that happen.

Drawing her hand up to cup Ami's cheek, Makoto leaned closer and nuzzled her chin, then jaw, then right into her ear. Blue curls shifted over her own jawline, and Makoto giggled a bit, aware of the mission, aware of how much Ami trembled.

"I'm serious, Blue. Promise me, you'll be careful. Promise me, you won't take any unnecessary chances."

A sighed chuckle and Ami gently pulled away, in turn putting her own hand to Makoto's neck and drawing the taller girl down. Blue eyes smiled into green and both could only smile.

"No, Mako-chan, that's MY line. It's YOU who has to promise me not to get into trouble, and I mean it. As the girl who considers herself your partner and as your boss. Remember, I still haven't payed you yet, and that means your services aren't rendered none."

Smiling in spite of herself Makoto nodded and let go. Leaning down and nuzzling the top of Ami's head some more, brunette turned away and went over to a grinning Rei Hino, her fuku already fluttering in the slight wind. Frowning good-naturedly at the fire senshi, Makoto whapped away a pinching hand and turned back to Ami. Her partner shot her a determined nod and whispered a greeting to Sherona as her and Minako slipped in through the hanyou's bedroom window. Usagi and ChibiUsa popped in after them and Hotaru followed, the Senshi of Death giving her parents a small wave as her dark crown disappeared under ground-level.

"Well, Thunder, what are we waiting for?"

Dark eyes flared with fiery determination and Makoto nodded at Sailor Mars, her own element crackling through her like she was a part of thunder and lightning itself. Walking over to the window, Makoto only had time to turn as Rei went ahead, and the brunette watched as Sailor Pluto sent a silent 'Dead Scream' attack into the belly of a watch-man youma, its red eyes sparking red as it let out a shrill death scream and turned into untraceable ashes.

Makoto slipped down after Rei as she felt the tug of her friend's hand, and as soon as she got in she was off after her sparring partner into one of the last three corridors where the last senshi hadn't taken down after.

"Thunder, I think we are officially lost."

Makoto scoffed at the frustrated tone in Sailor Mars' irritated voice. Being a karate teacher had its benefits of strict meditation in the woods and under waterfalls, and Makoto used her training to its full advantage. True, she couldn't sense any other kind of hints as to which corridor they should take _now_, out of all the drab-colored doors introducing them to empty hallways.

No, correction.

Hallways filled with the sense of lost souls and evil aura, aura so twisted and demonic that it made you want to hurl. Unfortunately for Rei, who was a miko and took on most of the brutal blow of the place. Makoto just sensed the shiftings of lost people and only had to dig her fingers into her palms to ease her unease.

Still. . .

"No, Pyro. We can't be lost. As long as we know which way's up, down, and we're not in an illusion, then we're fine."

There was an unbelievable growl from Rei and Makoto grinned at the miko as the dark-haired girl executed a well-placed glob of spit at the floor. The brunette's grin dimmed when the lights did and Rei's body liquid floated in midair, pointing out the obvious.

"Yes, Thunder. I think we are officially lost."

Rolling her eyes Makoto huffed.

"At least there hasn't been any fighting for any of us. THAT I can tell you."

It was true. In the last ten minutes of succesfully infiltrating the mansion, all the senshi's power levels had stayed even, indicating no one had done any fighting or gotten any bad scares. Given free reign to walk down hallways in the mansion took a toll on Makoto's calm, though, considering the owner could submerge them in any kind of youma horde attack, even if the senshi thought they'd gotten in without being noticed.

"Look, we're not getting anywhere. Let's just heat things up a little."

Finally nodding at the sense in Rei's suggestion, Makoto kept on walking as Sailor Mars let loose a hot blast of fire over her right shoulder, searing the end of the hallway in a purifying symbol. Nothing happened.

Glancing back, Makoto shot a grin at the fire wielder.

"First your spit won't drop, now you can't attract any youma? Pyro, you've gotten a bit. . . rusty."

As expected Rei's eyes narrowed and the hallway's temperature rose a good twenty degrees in good nature. Chuckling at her partner's instant reaction, Makoto waved a finger and added her own brand of sparkling electricity on top of the miko's symbol, making the brand glow. It now wasn't much of a surprise when two youma jumped out at them, fangs bared in dangerous threat.

"Hmmmm, looks like you got more of a rise out of them than I did, Thunder. But watch me fry these pups."

Shrugging Makoto grinned.

"Go right ahead, my pleasure."

With an all-out snarl Sailor Mars let loose a rolling ball of fire, the walls burning and catching fire with each second, youma burning all along the corridor as the ball of flame rolled, engulfing each inch of spare air with fire and gleefully dispatching any youma left. Whistling, Makoto let out a helpful lightning bolt that seared through the flames and sparked along each youma's torso, already half-burnt to death before they flickered once in electricity and convulsed into ashes.

"Hey! I thought you said these guys were MINE!"

Makoto laughed at the miko's outrage, but stopped immediately when she saw the red fire in those black eyes not diminishing in anger. Taking a step back, the Senshi of Thunder and Lightning went from a casual pose to all-out defensive as the Senshi of Fire hurled herself at her, throwing a brutal punch at her midsection.

"Pyro? PYRO! Stop it, what are you doing? We can't fight against ourselves, this is outrageous-!"

"You took my PREY, Kino!"

Makoto blinked, and instantly she let loose a crackle of lightning towards the black-haired woman's midsection. A crazy twirl of that hand with one of her paper taisan, and the brunt of Makoto's lightning was gone.

Her doubt was gone with it, too.

"Oh, as expected of Ami's aunt, huh, Pyro? Somewhere out there, I hope you figure that out before you go all prideful and serious on me. You're a good one, aren't you? How long?"

With a glitter of laughter in those sinister dark eyes, the miko in front of her visibly altared, the skin of her flesh peeling back as well as the whole demeanor. Red heels were kicked off and bared with wicked-sharp claws, and Makoto let out a low whistle as the black hair was kept but whisked back into a spiky mane that shot up in the air at the back of the youma's neck.

Black eyes glittered menacingly, jaw split in a fang-crunching grin, and what stood before the Senshi of Thunder was no longer her best sparring partner. In her place stood a youma towering over eight feet tall, the black and red striped patterns indicating at least some lineage in the beast family of felines. Even at that height the youma was hunched over on two feet, and Makoto was appropriately reminded of a broad-chested being such as a centaur. Clad only in a gender-revealing thong, the youma was an apparent male and had heightened the pitch of his deep growl to Rei's irritated snap.

Smiling up at it, Makoto wasted no time in throwing a lightning bolt towards the ground and ducking under its tall torso and rolling through the wall of flames as the smokescreen filled the large hallway. Experience taught her youma would soon enough block off the entranceways to thing and die fighting than run for their lives.

That consoled her as Makoto's body rebelled against the flickering heat of the fire along her body as she rolled into freedom. Bursting out into fresh air, her green eyes sliced a path through the smoke and Makoto started to run, boots tapping hard against the carpeted floor.

Slamming the button to her senshi communicator on, Makoto zoned in on where Rei was and saw her partner was now engaging what she guessed was her version of Makoto Kino turned youma. Reading the simple map Ami had installed in the communicator during her latest upgrade, Makoto angled her way into a side-corner, then brutally punching her way through a hole in the wall when all she was met with was a dead end.

"Pyro! Have you found anything yet?"

"Only you can be so pissy when all I asked was, that we were lost."

Laughing at the irritated voice on the screen, Makoto nodded as she recalled that was when Rei had started to act wierd.

"Well, your double fried its comrades and got jealous over me happening, so my double isn't the only one who can't take a joke for an answer. I'm coming over there, and we'll try to double up. It's best to stick to our original plan, anyway."

The miko on the screen nodded determinedly before their connection blinked out, and Makoto pounded through another wall just as she saw Rei throw a well-placed kick towards the male youma's privates and burned him to ashes. Walking up, Makoto realized Ami's aunt must be pretty sexist if she thought every guy youma would do better against women senshi. Of course, it would make sense, given the reaction she'd had as to Ami's relationship with her in the first place.

"If you're grinning because you've found a way to Ami-chan's aunt, then spill."

Shaking her head over at the dark-haired miko, Makoto gestured to a wierd belt the youma had seemingly dropped when it had burned to pieces and the brunette knelt as she picked it up. Immediately cold blue eyes seared over the flickering piece of technology and Ami's mom's voice cut through in a terrified cry of pain.

"Flent, what are you DOING?.!"

"See your friend's mom, Kino Makoto? She's in pain because she returned, she's in pain because she cares. But most of all, she's in pain because you couldn't protect her. The same. . . goes for her."

And the belt flickered a harsh blackness and Makoto was suddenly faced with the only family she had left. Rei had to physically restrain her from blowing up the only connection she had with Ami's aunt as Makoto fired up her arms with some very lethal electricity.

"Miki!.!"

"Makoto! She's got bombs and monsters and poisoned arrows in the last three hallways and-"

"Shut your mouth, hussy."

Fire sparked angrily through her system, and Makoto got out the time to yell, "YOU shut up, you murderer, and leave them alone!.!.!" before Ami's aunt calmy turned her icy blue gaze back to them. A wicked smile cut to her face, and before Makoto's sister could even react, Ami's aunt had drew her hand back and let it knock the blond to a bloody unconscious. Fiercely struggling against Rei's hold of her, Makoto screamed with loss.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?.!"

A blue eyebrow quirked, and the woman named Flent smiled.

"I want all of you to work for me against my niece. She's the only one who's a real threat right now, because she can hack into my personal files and alter everything I have. It will be so easy if you do. All of you can rise to the top with the connections I have and you doing anything you want, with me backing you up as your manager. Think of it, no one getting hurt, no one judging you for things you couldn't explain whenever you dredged something up in the future, only to be called away at the most important moments because of a little problem with some monsters roaming the streets. . . All you have to do is make sure little Ami-chan doesn't interfere-"

"Forget it."

The finality in Rei's voice had Makoto looking up from her rage and disbelief at what Ami's aunt wanted, and the miko let the brunette go. It took a moment for Makoto to regain her returned strength, and with a growl she shred the belt to pieces and scrammed it like an egg with electricity before dropping it to the ground.

"We could still use that, you know."

"Ami!"

Blue eyes twinkled up at her, and Makoto had to calm down and realize the blue-haired senshi was looking up at her from her communicator attached to her wrist. Holding out her hand to Rei so she could share, since Rei's communicator had apparently been crushed in an attack with Makoto's youma double, Makoto turned back to Ami.

"Listen, Mako-chan, our communicators won't be hacked for the next four hours since I've got the most advanced their is right now, but my aunt, as you can see, is a very smart woman. Once she finds some kind of interferance signal to come between us, it'll be harder to stay in touch. I think we're near her now and getting closer, but then again I also think the mansion's shifting from time to time. Setsuna-san has been kind enough to hold the secret base to the same spot for a half hour once we find it, but the rest is up to us."

Nodding at what the Senshi of Water told her, Makoto eyed the belt. There was an occasional flicker to it, and the brunette realized what her partner had said when she came on to the communicator.

"You mean we can still use this?"

Holding up the belt, Makoto watched as her blue-haired partner smiled.

"Press the green button and let it scan it. After it has, just press it again and let your communicator do the rest of the work. Since we're still back in our old groups, we can search for where that belt came from and cover more ground."

Nodding, Makoto watched as Rei concentrated on finding the most life from what the belt was supposedly emitting. Telling Ami that her sister had also been captured, Makoto frowned. Remembering what Rei and her had been through, Makoto also told Ami of the chance Minako having a youma posing as her. The blue-haired senshi just smiled and said all was taken care of. Saying goodbye as Rei positioned the belt underneath Makoto's communicator, brunette eyed the screen sceptically as maps flickered across the screen for two seconds, then switched over to another, the corridors and hallways ever changing.

Exhaling a breath, Makoto frowned.

This was all left to chance and luck.

"Hey, Thunder. Don't worry. What's the worst that could happen, we stay in here so long and get so good at beating these youma that all that's left is to blow the place up? I mean, as long as this Flent woman has her captives, it means she can't kill them because we have what she wants, and that's Ami."

Jumping to her feet, Makoto nodded. Turning at the sudden sound of water, brunette wondered at where it was coming from.

"COWABUNGAAAAAAAAA!.!.!"

Gaping at the sight, Rei and Makoto stood, shocked, as the Senshi of Wind and Sky King herself whooped up a large wave and slammed into them with a surfboard and unlimited amounts of swirling waves.

"H-Haru-chan! Ooof! Ryohizu-kun?.!"

Staring underneath them at the onslaught of water, Makoto and Rei quickly jumped on the boards Haruka had produced from behind her that she'd trailed after on the surfboard. Ryohizu's steady grin was recording everything around them, and at Rei's uncomfortable look, the dark green fish flashed a 'click' to know she was being recorded.

"Hey, I know this place like the back of my fin. And trust me, there, Flamester, you're too hot for my liking."

"Ooooh, wouldn't want to have Shero-chan hear that, now would'ja, Ryo-kun?"

"HEY!"

". . . I'm guessing Michiru provided the water and waves?"

"You got it, Lightning! Since I've got the currents under control and wanted to have some midnight surfing, well, Ryo-kun here was nice enough to accompany me to his beloved."

"*blush* Cut it out!"

"Heheh, but it's true, ain't it, Ryo-kuuun?"

"BOTH of you, knock it off!"

All of them looked over at the Senshi of Fire. Rei was pale white, her eyes concentrated on the fire-red board underneath her. They were hardly moving, but the look in her eyes told them it would be bad if they did.

"Here, Rei-chan. Michi gave it to me, she said it eased people's fear of the sea and water."

Dark eyes warily eyed the dark green mash of tangled material that looked suspiciously like seaweed but gratefully took it. Rei put it in her mouth and delicately swallowed. Almost instantly the Fire Senshi relaxed and started to breathe more normally. Nodding, Ryohizu did a backflip in the fast current and took one look at the maps Makoto shown to the fish.

"Ahh, that'll get you lost faster than anything around here. Follow me, I'll lead you to the others first, then we can go to where your sister and Ami's mom are."

Makoto glanced over at Haruka and grinned as she mounted her lightning-green surfboard, making a sharp cut through the waves and playfully splashing Haruka's golden thunderbird with a bit of warm water. The older woman yelped a bit, then splashed her back, and both of them took the short time Rei needed to get her balance and catch up with the two as they took off after Ryohizu's dark form in the water.

""What are you trying to do, Hizu-chan, drown us all?"

"Hey, not my fault I can breathe underwater, half-pint. I'm surprised you haven't found the entrance to the lab yet. You'd think you were twice your age or something."

"For your INFORMATION, the next three hallways will get us KILLED if we don't take it carefully and think this out! The hag Flent actually got past Ami-chan's latest upgrade of her computer, and it's going to take a bit to get it back up where there's no chance of it being hacked in the next few hours because we need all the help we can get once we cross the next line!"

". . . Until then, just rest, guys. I've got to get this straightened out once and for all, and I've knocked out all the security cameras and electronic wires that would trip up traps. The only thing left is to wait and watch for the physical traps she's set."

Makoto tried to calm herself by swishing her long legs in the water, but it only made her green surfboard rock back and forth down the long expanse of the flooded hallway. They'd all caught up with Ami and Minako after ten minutes of playing around and zapping countless youma in the halls with their attacks, Haruka making the waves higher and higher with each whoop. Rei wasn't too pleased, but the potion Michiru had sent along with her partner had eased her fears and sickness. Thankfully Ryohizu had the upbringing of being so tested upon back in the past that he didn't have to worry about most of the youma and senshi attacks in the water and could avoid most of them, given his lithe form and lightning-fast swimming.

"Hey, Mako-chan."

A sweet voice called her name, and the brunette glanced over at the woman sitting next to her on the surfboard. Smiling over at her partner, Makoto raised an eyebrow in a silent question. The Senshi of Ice smiled back and pressed a button on her computer, making sure everything was going fine.

"Miki-chan's gonna be fine, you know that, right? So is my mom, and nothing my aunt will do can stop that fact."

The smile in those blue eyes was the one thing Makoto knew Ami would never lie about. Glancing at the others, Makoto sighed once and gently took the hand that had found its way to the middle of their seated positions. Drawing it up, Makoto carefully intertwined their fingers and enjoyed the blush that came to Ami's pretty face.

". . . I honestly felt that there could have been some way to spare your aunt, Ami-chan. I mean, she's of obvious blood-relation, and look how you and your mom turned out to be."

A finger found its way over her lips, and Makoto tried to fight back the blush that threatened to drown her if she payed any heed to her instincts by catapulting herself backwards into the water to get away from Ami's touch. Not that it was bad, by any means, just. . . distracting. Distractions at times like these were never a good thing.

Yet when?

"Mako-chan. There's no way. And I know. I've given her all the chances in the world. I've watched her mercilessly kill people, Mako-chan. Maybe not by herself, but definitely by her own hand. Give her any kind of reason, any opening that you may feel pity for her, and she uses it, Mako-chan, uses it to her own benefit. It wouldn't be as bad if it were a needed thing, but she. . . she enjoys to kill."

Looking over at her blue-haired partner, Makoto frowned. Honestly considering the hand in hers, the Senshi of Lightning drew Ami's chin up to stare into those blue eyes. So honest. So pure. Yet. . .

"Ami-chan. . . You've killed now. Youma, I mean. And yet. . . I have a feeling you just do it for the sake of living, for protecting. Why can't she? Why can't we all?"

The smaller girl blinked, then smiled. Makoto pulled away, a bit puzzled. Ami rearranged herself, reaching up and tapping her nose once and then drawing her in a hug. On instinct Makoto tensed, but then reacted by squeezing Ami tight as the blue-haired genius pulled away and pushed herself up on the board. Looking down at her, Ami shook her head.

"Because it would be too easy."

Turning to the rest of the group, the Senshi of Ice truly lived up to her title as she directed them, drawing them into a tight ring and making sure all of them knew what kind of traps were on the other side and that nothing was a done deal.

And Makoto wondered.

Even as Ryohizu and Sherona took on the head of the group and led them into the very heart of the mansion itself. The mansion that they were destined to blow up or die trying.

A/N: HA! XD So I DID add in the 'blow up the mansion' part! XD Maybe NEXT time it'll happen. Maybe. *laughs* I know, I know. More suspense, the sky's the limit on suspense, but I have to recollect thoughts, problems they STILL gotta go through, and unlike my others, I want this major problem to be resolved and maybe still keep the fic going. ^^; Big plans for this? No, but I'm trying to make it get by good. =3 I'll explain more later, and hopefully, more surprises. ((*laughs* Yeah, I know, you're saying, "What surprises? This is all outright right NOW!)) XD Thank you so much for reading after so long, merry holidays, take care, jaaaaaa! XD


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